HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Dozens of public high schools in Maryland and several public high schools in Harford County are among the best in the country, according to a new ranking released Tuesday from U.S. News & World Report.
In the list, Maryland ranks fourth among U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Among the 210 ranked schools in Maryland, 16 are in the top 5 percent nationally, 82 were in the top 25 percent.
Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda was the highest ranked Maryland public school in the nation, placing No. 147 on the national list.
Top public high schools in Harford County are:
- Fallston High School, Fallston, Harford County Public Schools, #65 in Maryland Rankings, #3,302 in National Rankings
- Patterson Mill High School, Bel Air, Harford County Public Schools, #70 in Maryland Rankings, #3,863 in National Rankings
- Bel Air High School, Bel Air, Harford County Public Schools, #89 in Maryland Rankings, #5,010 in National Rankings
- C. Milton Wright High School, Bel Air, Harford County Public Schools, #90 in Maryland Rankings, #5,040 in National Rankings
- Swan Creek School, Aberdeen, Harford County Public Schools, #177-210 in Maryland Rankings, #13,242-17,655 in National Rankings
State-by-state performance is based solely on which states have the largest proportion of schools in the top 25 percent. Massachusetts once again leads in the ranking, followed by Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland and Florida, respectively.
The top high schools have students who score exceptionally high on math, reading and science assessments, as well strong performance among under-served students. High school graduation rates and college readiness among graduates are also measured.