Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has earned numerous top spots in Public School Review’s latest rankings of Maryland’s best public schools, including the top three high schools in the state. The rankings also place eight MCPS middle schools and 12 elementary schools among Maryland’s top 25 in their respective categories.
Public School Review calculates its rankings using combined math and reading proficiency scores, drawing from publicly available federal and state education data. Maryland’s statewide averages are 27% proficiency in math and 45% in reading.
Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda earned the #1 ranking among Maryland public high schools, with 85% math proficiency and 90% reading proficiency. Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville ranked #2 (83% math, 89% reading), while Winston Churchill High School tied for #3 (84% math, 87% reading). Poolesville High School ranked #7, Walter Johnson High School #14, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School #15, and Richard Montgomery High School #23.
All seven high schools received a 10/10 overall rating, placing their test scores among the top 5% of Maryland public schools. In total, 12 MCPS high schools ranked among the state’s top 50, while 16 of the district’s 25 comprehensive high schools received ratings of 8/10 or higher.
At the middle school level, eight MCPS schools ranked among Maryland’s top 25. Thomas W. Pyle Middle School led the district at #4 statewide, followed by Robert Frost Middle School at #6, Herbert Hoover Middle School at #11, Cabin John Middle School at #13, North Bethesda Middle School at #16, Takoma Park Middle School at #19, Westland Middle School at #21, and John Poole Middle School at #22. Pyle and Frost received 10/10 overall ratings, while the other six schools earned 9/10 ratings.
Montgomery County also accounted for 12 of Maryland’s top 25 elementary schools. Bradley Hills Elementary School ranked #4 statewide, followed by Bannockburn Elementary School at #6, Seven Locks Elementary School at #8, Cold Spring and Westbrook elementary schools tied at #9, Carderock Springs and Wayside elementary schools tied at #11, Bells Mill Elementary School at #13, Wyngate Elementary School at #17, Stone Mill Elementary School at #21, Wood Acres Elementary School at #24, and Potomac Elementary School at #25. All 12 received 10/10 overall ratings.
In the specialized school category, Stephen Knolls School tied for #76 statewide and received an 8/10 overall rating, placing it among the top 30% of Maryland schools based on overall test scores.
Founded in 2003, Public School Review provides profiles and comparative data for more than 100,000 public schools nationwide. Its rankings focus on standardized testing performance and do not necessarily reflect every aspect of a school’s educational experience, including extracurricular opportunities, student support services, and school climate.
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