2024 Best School Districts in the Baltimore Area

• Ellicott City, MD•

• School District

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  Rating 4.17 out of 5  264 reviews

Alum: Howard County Public Schools provide a great education experience especially when I was a student. I have been to two schools which were Howard and Long Reach High School. From my experience, the teachers and staff are interactive and will do their best in pathing you for success. I've had plenty of opportunities to grow my individual learning education, whether it'd be during class or after-school tutoring. Both schools showed a tremendous amount of school spirit with their sports and their club activities. The one thing that I would love to change is the school lunches. Although the nutritional value of the meals has been better, the overall quality of meals is not on par as I would have liked. School lunches and breakfast are fundamental tools for us students to regain our energy so we can continue to learn at our best. But for me, I found myself skipping lunch because the food was not appealing,... Read 264 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 77

• Students 57,325

• Bel Air, MD•

• School District

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  Rating 3.82 out of 5  125 reviews

Alum: My experience with Harford County Public Schools, through the opportunities given to me by my magnet program and advanced educational programs, felt consistently a lot better than what was experienced by others, and I wish these privileges could be provided to more people. In Churchville Elementary and Edgewood High School I was put in advanced programs. These programs had extremely tight communities, with a diversity of people with a passion for learning. The schools did very well to facilitate this community and encourage our learning with dedicated spaces. However, there were a lot of elements outside of that space that needs work. For example, Edgewood High School had a ton of issues with its cleaning and policies that did not facilitate learning, but instead discouraged courage. The schools have shown the ability to tend to students properly, but (especially with recently announced budget cuts) I worry for its ability to give it to all students.... Read 125 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 55

• Students 37,920

• Annapolis, MD•

• School District

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  Rating 3.86 out of 5  280 reviews

Senior: Teaching staff in AACPS is great, with lots of experience and resources available. School properties are cleaned daily and don't have extreme damages, there is many construction projects throughout the school districts ranging from turf fields to building additions however they are typically done in the summer months. Water quality isn't great in some schools so it would be nice to see one of the upcoming projects be to replace the pipes in the schools. In addition to water quality, quite a few of the schools are over populated, though new schools are currently being built to combat this.... Read 280 reviews

• grade B

• Total schools 126

• Students 83,163

• Towson, MD•

• School District

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  Rating 3.73 out of 5  262 reviews

Senior: The district serves a diverse student population, with students from various cultural, socioeconomic, and ethnic backgrounds. Baltimore County Schools offer a range of academic programs designed to meet the diverse needs of its students. These may include gifted and talented programs, special education services, Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and other initiatives aimed at promoting academic excellence.... Read 262 reviews

• grade B

• Total schools 177

• Students 111,136

• Baltimore, MD•

• School District

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  Rating 3.2 out of 5  135 reviews

Senior: I have been lucky enough to attend some of the best schools in Baltimore City since we don’t have to attend zoned schools, however city schools are drastically underfunded. Funding is made up from local revenue from property tax and money from the state, which has remained flat in regards to inflation since 2008. Due to the levels of concentrated poverty in Baltimore, we get very little local funding compared to wealthier counties. This leaves us at a major deficit and it shows through our lack of properly maintained school buildings. Many lack proper heat, fully functioning bathrooms and technology. Despite all this, there are some truly great schools in the district that you’re able to get into if you maintain good grades that will afford you priceless opportunities to follow your passions, which I am genuinely grateful for.... Read 135 reviews

• grade C+

• Total schools 156

• Students 77,807