These Are The 25 Best Elementary Schools in Maryland: U.S. News

Glenarden Woods Elementary is the best public elementary school in Maryland, according to a new ranking Tuesday from U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News researchers based the 2027 ranking of the nation’s best public elementary schools on the latest publicly available data from state education agencies by RTI International, alongside data from the U.S. Department of Education. In the past, the state reports weren’t part of the methodology.

The data from the state agencies provides a more comprehensive assessment of student performance in reading and mathematics across all proficiency levels while continuing to account for student background and absolute performance on state assessments.

“By incorporating direct state data across all proficiency levels, the 2027 rankings offer a richer, more complete picture of how elementary and middle schools are driving student growth,” Eric Brooks, U.S. News director of education data analysis, said in a news release.

Elementary schools are those offering either pre-K-5 or pre-K-6 education. For schools that have a wider grade span, only tests through fifth grade were considered. The report includes 46,000 public elementary schools ranked at the state and district levels. Charter schools are a stand-alone category.

The top 25 public elementary schools in Maryland are:

1. Glenarden Woods Elementary, Lanham, grades 2-5
2. Heather Hills Elementary, Bowie, grades 2-5
3. Ocean City Elementary, Ocean City, grades Pre-K-4
4. Rodgers Forge Elementary, Baltimore, grades K-5
5. Seven Locks Elementary, Bethesda, grades K-5
6. Riderwood Elementary, Towson, grades K-5
7. Bannockburn Elementary, Bethesda, grades K-5
8. West Towson Elementary, Baltimore, grades Pre-K-5
9. Worthington Elementary, Ellicott City, grades K-5
10. Benfield Elementary, Severna Park, grades Pre-K-5
11. Wayside Elementary, Potomac, grades Pre-K-5
12. Sparks Elementary, Sparks, grades K-5
13. Chevy Chase Elementary, Chevy Chase, grades 3-5
14. Pinewood Elementary, Timonium, grades Pre-K-5
15. Bells Mill Elementary, Potomac, grades Pre-K-5
16. Pocomoke Elementary, Pocomoke City, grades Pre-K-3
17. Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary, Rockville, grades K-5
18. Cedar Grove Elementary, Germantown, grades K-5
19. Carderock Springs Elementary, Bethesda, grades K-5
20. Timonium Elementary, Timonium, grades K-5
21. Westbrook Elementary, Bethesda, grades K-5
22. Wyngate Elementary, Bethesda, grades K-5
23. Cold Spring Elementary, Potomac, grades K-5
24. Cromwell Valley Elementary Regional Magnet, Baltimore, grades Pre-K-5
25. Ritchie Park Elementary, Rockville, grades K-5