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2020 Best School Districts in the Baltimore AreaAbout this List

The 2020 Best School Districts ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, public school district ratings, and more. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

1 – 5 of 5
Best Districts
5 results

  1. Howard County Public Schools

    • School District
    • Ellicott City, MD
    • 176 reviews
    #1 Best School Districts in Baltimore Area

    Senior: The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is the perfect place for any student and by offering various opportunities for success, involvement and improvement, it is one of the best public school systems in the whole country. It offers several opportunities for high-achieving and motivated students to take challenging courses and expose themselves to many useful hands-on experiences based on the student's interest. For example, the Application and Research Lab (ARL) offers practical training for students interested in a specific professions like cybersecurity or in healthcare. Furthermore, by offering courses like the Indepedent Research program and the Inter-Mentor program, students can learn essential researching skills for success post-high school, and also shadow and learn from a mentor who works in a profession that the student is interested in, respectively. Furthermore, Howard County's cultural utopia makes every student feels included and treated equally.
    Read 176 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 76 Total Schools
    • 55,626 Students
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  2. Harford County Public Schools

    • School District
    • Bel Air, MD
    • 65 reviews
    #2 Best School Districts in Baltimore Area

    Sophomore: Harford County School System is an excellent District for students to attend. While it is close to many major cities for field trips and academic ventures, Harford County Schools maintain the smaller town feel with personalized attention from administrators and teachers that add to the overall quality of education in a safe and nurturing environment. There is a family feel among staff, students, parents, and adminstrators that contributes to the overall experience of being part of the Harford County School District.
    Read 65 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 54 Total Schools
    • 37,426 Students
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  3. Baltimore County Public Schools

    • School District
    • Towson, MD
    • 189 reviews
    #3 Best School Districts in Baltimore Area

    Alum: Baltimore County Public Schools does an amazing job with creating substantial relationships between students, parents, teachers and faculty! I also very much appreciated the college preparation that they offered in high school.
    Read 189 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 173 Total Schools
    • 112,139 Students
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  4. Anne Arundel County Public Schools

    • School District
    • Annapolis, MD
    • 179 reviews
    #4 Best School Districts in Baltimore Area

    Junior: I love Anne Arundel County! The only problem is: teacher’s pay. If the county paid their teachers more then harder working teachers would want to join our county. This helps the county be more refined when hiring teachers. Some teachers are out of sorts and can’t teach the subject they’re suppose to have a degree in. The people are sweet and truly want the best for their students, I just wish their county wanted the best for them.
    Read 179 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 122 Total Schools
    • 81,379 Students
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  5. Baltimore City Public Schools

    • School District
    • Baltimore, MD
    • 119 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 119 Reviews

    • C-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 175 Total Schools
    • 82,354 Students
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  6. Sponsored

    Gilman School

    • Private School
    • Baltimore, MD
    • K-12
    • 56 reviews

    Middle School Student: I’m so sad I had to move. Gilman was the best part of my day! The students and teachers were very accepting, smart, fun, and could make a class or free time fun. After leaving Gilman I realized Gilman was an emotion, it was abstract in the sense it was an emotion. I’ve made lifelong friends there and can honestly say it is the best school ever!
    Read 56 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 1,010 Students
    • 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
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