U.S. News & World Report has released its 2027 Best Elementary Schools rankings, with 18 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) schools placing among the top 40 in Maryland. The top 40 (of 1,449 schools total) list can be seen below.
Seven Locks Elementary in Bethesda was the highest-ranked Montgomery County school, coming in at No. 5 statewide. Bannockburn Elementary, also in Bethesda, ranked No. 7, while Wayside Elementary in Potomac was No. 11.
Glenarden Woods Elementary in Prince George’s County was ranked the No. 1 elementary school in Maryland, followed by Heather Hills Elementary, also in Prince George’s County, at No. 2. Ocean City Elementary in Worcester County was No. 3.
The report includes approximately 46,000 public elementary schools nationwide, with schools ranked at the state and district levels. State-specific rankings for charter schools are also included as a separate category.
According to U.S. News, the 2027 rankings incorporate publicly available data collected directly from state education agencies by RTI International, along with data from the U.S. Department of Education. The updated methodology assesses student performance in reading and mathematics across proficiency levels while accounting for student background and overall performance on state assessments.
The top 40 elementary schools in Maryland are:
- Glenarden Woods Elementary – Prince George’s County
- Heather Hills Elementary – Prince George’s County
- Ocean City Elementary – Worcester County
- Rodgers Forge Elementary – Baltimore County
- Seven Locks Elementary – Montgomery County
- Riderwood Elementary – Baltimore County
- Bannockburn Elementary – Montgomery County
- West Towson Elementary – Baltimore County
- Worthington Elementary – Howard County
- Benfield Elementary – Anne Arundel County
- Wayside Elementary – Montgomery County
- Sparks Elementary – Baltimore County
- Chevy Chase Elementary – Montgomery County
- Pinewood Elementary – Baltimore County
- Bells Mill Elementary – Montgomery County
- Pocomoke Elementary – Worcester County
- Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary – Montgomery County
- Cedar Grove Elementary – Montgomery County
- Carderock Springs Elementary – Montgomery County
- Timonium Elementary – Baltimore County
- Westbrook Elementary – Montgomery County
- Wyngate Elementary – Montgomery County
- Cold Spring Elementary – Montgomery County
- Cromwell Valley Elementary Regional Magnet – Baltimore County
- Ritchie Park Elementary – Montgomery County
- Potomac Elementary – Montgomery County
- Travilah Elementary – Montgomery County
- Snow Hill Elementary – Worcester County
- Bethesda Elementary – Montgomery County
- Williamsport Elementary – Washington County
- Chapel Hill Elementary – Baltimore County
- Frost Elementary – Allegany County
- Fountaindale Elementary – Washington County
- Stone Mill Elementary – Montgomery County
- Capitol Heights Elementary – Prince George’s County
- Bel Air Elementary – Harford County
- Bradley Hills Elementary – Montgomery County
- Clearspring Elementary – Montgomery County
- Waverly Elementary – Howard County
- Diamond Elementary – Montgomery County
The full rankings of all 1,449 schools can be seen here.
