2020 Best Schools in Howard CountyAbout this List

Marriotts Ridge High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 268 reviews

Sophomore: The academics are really good here, and I've been fortunate enough to get several wonderful teachers during my time here so far. While you definitely become prepared for college through the AP classes, the overall mental health and well-being of many students are probably not as good as they should be. The administration tries to address these issues, but their plans aren't very effective and these issues aren't taken as seriously as they probably should be. They are more focused on punishing academic dishonesty and drug use. Honestly, I think at least teachers, if not students, should have a say in these policies because they actually see the students on a regular basis and know at least somewhat of the kind of pressure many students are under from both their parents and peers to do well.
Read 268 Reviews

• A+

• 1,261 Students
• 17:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

River Hill High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 294 reviews

Senior: Great school! Almost everyone here is a good student, very friendly atmosphere, while still being highly competitive. Very enjoyable to be here!
Read 294 Reviews

• A+

• 1,153 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Centennial High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 308 reviews

Alum: I felt that Centennial High School prepared me for college 100%. During my four years there I was pushed acdemically to do my best by teachers who care and by my surrounding classmates who also reached for success in their academics. Although we didn't have the best football team, we had an awesome "6th man" student section that supported many of the supports. I have great memories attending volleyball and basketball games. I was also able to participate in athletics all 4 years there. I met some of my best friends and would not want to go to any other high school. The teachers there want you to succeed.
Read 308 Reviews

• A+

• 1,505 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Glenelg Country School

• Private School
• Ellicott City, MD
• PK, K-12
• 54 reviews

Parent: Glenelg Country School is an outstanding place with challenging curriculum and nice community! Great school to foster intellectual growth. The faculty and staff are very supportive and truly care about students’ success. Glenelg offers a lot of resources and volunteer opportunities locally and internationally. Beautiful campus.
Read 54 Reviews

• A+

• 780 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Atholton High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 404 reviews

Alum: Atholton High School prepared me very well for college. The courses offered, such as accounting and AP Micro/Macroeconomics are classes one should definitely take if they are considering pursuing a business degree. Not only is the faculty good at teaching these classes so that they are significantly easier in college, they also set you up to pass the AP exams. The science and math department at Atholton is also very good and the only reason I did so well in General Chemistry this past semester was because of my sophomore year chemistry teacher. The school is one of the most diverse in Howard County, both ethnically and socioeconomically, and has a fantastic athletics program.
Read 404 Reviews

• A+

• 1,448 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Mount Hebron High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 407 reviews

Senior: Mount Hebron High School is a great school with lots of opportunities to excel academically and athletically. I like the fact that it has good diversity. Parents are very invested in their children and always step up to volunteer in various events and activities. The school administration is very supportive of the teachers, students and parents alike. The school has a strong athletic and marching band program. My school has a very close knit and community feel which I really cherish. My high school years was very memorable and I made life long friends there. Also, I feel that I am college ready after leaving the Mt. Hebron because of the challenging courses I was able to take along with many life long skills I have learned as well.
Read 407 Reviews

• A+

• 1,577 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Waverly Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• PK, K-5
• 3 reviews

Niche User: The teachers are very nice, but most of the people in this school, actually in Ellicott City are Korean. I think it would be better if they had more shade when going outside but everything else is great!
Read 3 Reviews

• A+

• 766 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Burleigh Manor Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 6 reviews

Middle School Student: I am a student at BMMS. The mashed potatoes there are so good. Like, Gordon Ramsy good. If you ever want your child to taste some dang good mashed potatoes, you gotta send them to BMMS. Also, the lunch lady is very nice, I would also recommend the cheeseburger which I like to put tomatoes and lettuce and onions and pickles on. However, I think that your tater-tots are overrated. I want you to fix the bathroom doors because they don't lock. So when I'm trying to pee I have to stretch my arm to hold the door in place so someone doesn't come busting in with me and my pants down. It's really not nice, but it helps stretch my muscles and prepare me for P.E class.
Read 6 Reviews

• A+

• 819 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Glenelg High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 179 reviews

Senior: Glenelg is a very good place to be if you're in the gifted/talented or AP classes, but there is a big gap between the Honors/on-grade courses and higher level classes. Honors is basically just on grade. The school is almost split in two. The advanced teachers seem to work much harder and care much more about the students. The other teachers are still good, but definitely don't try to challenge the students. Most people at Glenelg are great, people get along and accept the differences of others. There are some students though who do not respect the differences between people and voice these opinions very visibly. You definitely won't run into these problems as often in the Gifted/talented and AP courses as you would in the other courses (this is not to say that all the people in the lower classes are abrasive-most of them are lovely). If you go to Glenelg, enroll in the difficult classes. They are hard, but it'll teach you discipline and acceptance. Overall a great school.
Read 179 Reviews

• A+

• 1,205 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Clarksville Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 3 reviews

Middle School Student: It is an amazing school. It has an amazing music program and has a very high level of academics for all student. it does not have much sport involvement groups as it could though. But I would still instantly recommend this school to anyone.
Read 3 Reviews

• A+

• 560 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Clarksville Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5
• 2 reviews

Parent: This is an amazing school, and I tell this over my experience with 3 elementary schools. Teachers are oriented towards great academics, but at the same time make a point to be there for children in all ways possible. Kids have a beautiful experience and best of both worlds, in getting good academic exposure, but also a less crowded appealing ambiance.
Read 2 Reviews

• A+

• 430 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5
• 2 reviews

Parent: Fantastic, caring teachers and wonderful community. All of my children went through TRES and we couldn't have been happier!
Read 2 Reviews

• A+

• 560 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Centennial Lane Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5
• 4 reviews

Parent: We love CLES. We have felt welcomed since day one. The staff and administration go above and beyond. My second grader has made good friends and is doing well academically.
Read 4 Reviews

• A+

• 739 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Reservoir High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 328 reviews

Alum: Reservoir High Scool is a mixed bag. There are some really great teachers who truly care about their students and love to teach, but there are also some teachers who don't do anything to "teach," who clearly do not like their job and who don't care about their students. The best parts of the school are the theatre and music departments because those teachers work hard and care, and the community and family those departments create are irreplaceable. I wish the board of education acknowledged that because those departments are so poorly funded and not given enough attention.
Read 328 Reviews

• A+

• 1,470 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Lime Kiln Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 3 reviews

Alum: Lime Kiln is a very well run school. The administration is very supportive of the students and are very knowledgeable about how and what they are teaching. They teach in a way for the kids to have fun but still understand and pick up the information in a timely manner. There are many clubs to further students interest in different topics and to help improve the school. There are clubs that take students to different places and restaurants so the students can learn about different cultures. The Drama Learning Center host a musical every year and the students at Lime Kiln audition. The current principal Lucy Lublin is doing a marvelous job running the school. The past principal Scott Conroy was very impressive and did lots of amazing things for the students. They have extracurricular activities such as a basketball team, an ultimate frisbee team, and a flag football team. Lime Kiln is a wonderful school and have done amazing things for kids.
Read 3 Reviews

• A+

• 727 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Pointers Run Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• PK, K-5

• A+

• 784 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Folly Quarter Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 1 review

Parent: Teachers, curriculum and diversity is excellent but not many clubs and after school activities to keep kids involved and no sports that needs to be changed.
Read 1 Review

• A+

• 615 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Mount View Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 5 reviews

Middle School Student: Mount View was a great time for me. I had multiple teachers who were my best friends! But they weren’t as focused teaching well- more just being a good support system for students which I found was better for middle school students. I participated in like eight clubs because there were so many extracurriculars available to its students. Food isn’t great, but what do you expect from a public middle school... overall I was happy at this school.
Read 5 Reviews

• A+

• 792 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Dunloggin Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 7 reviews

Middle School Student: Great teachers, great environment, great diversity, bullying is extremely rare and all conflicts that arise are handled professionally. Would highly recommend attending. School lunched aren't that bad either.
Read 7 Reviews

• A+

• 617 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Howard High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 428 reviews

Senior: Coming up in Howard high school I played football, and participated and wrestling off and on. The brotherhood and family I established with my teammates on the football team is incredibly strong and supportive. I have created life long friendships with people that have supported me and pushed me to be better and strive for more success and to reach my goals. Every year our school encourages us to be the best that we can be and to tackle challenges to achieve our goals. Howard has an incredibly extensive selection of groups, clubs, sports, organizations, and extra curricular activities. Some of which being the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), Yearbook course, Weight training, Baking Club, Hockey Club, FCA etc. In my opinion, Howard is one of the most extensively diverse schools with a wide selection of activities to make everyone feel included.
Read 428 Reviews

• A+

• 1,830 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Ilchester Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• PK, K-5
• 2 reviews

Parent: We have two kids at Ilchester and we are very happy with the school. Before moving to the area, we toured a few nearby schools and really liked the friendly staff and teachers at Ilchester. After spending two year at the IES, I have to say I am very impressed with everything. The teachers go out of they way to help the students. One of the teachers spent her after school time to help my kid with her music project. They do a great job supporting both students with special needs and gifted and talented students. The PTA works very well with the school and have many great activities throughout the year.
Read 2 Reviews

• A+

• 690 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Fulton Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5
• 1 review

Parent: Fulton ES is a wonderful school! The environment is inclusive and diverse. Academics are strong and we moved into this school district for the fine school.
Read 1 Review

• A

• 832 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Ellicott Mills Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 5 reviews

Freshman: I loved EMMS! The music program is my family. I loved being in band and made lots of friends. Almost everyone is in band, choir or orchestra. It's an awesome school.
Read 5 Reviews

• A

• 828 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

West Friendship Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5
• 3 reviews

Parent: We were pleasantly surprised by WFES when we moved to HOCO. Our child is happy here. The teachers are excellent, they along with the staff and admin are very approachable and responsive. Class sizes are generally small, so the teachers can give individual attention to the kids based on their respective ability. PTA does quite a few events to build a community throughout the year. Our child has made several good friends here. Overall, we have had a very positive Elementary School experience at WFES!
Read 3 Reviews

• A

• 326 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Patapsco Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 2 reviews

• A

• 684 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio