Public School Review 2026â2027 Rankings: MCPS Schools on the Rise Across Maryland
Posted On November 12, 2026
Public School Review has released its rankings of Maryland’s top public schools, with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) taking center stage across high school, middle school, elementary school and specialized program categories.
Public School Review rankings are calculated based on schools’ combined math and reading proficiency test scores. The organization analyzes public data from federal and state education agencies to evaluate and compare institutions against statewide averages.
Across Maryland, student proficiency averages stand at 27% in math and 45% in reading. By comparison, top-tier schools in Montgomery County significantly outpace state benchmarks.
High Schools: MCPS Claims Top Statewide Spots
MCPS has seven high schools ranking within the top 25 with Walt Whitman High School earning the top ranking in Maryland, boasting an 85% math proficiency rate and a 90% reading proficiency rate. Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville followed closely at #2, recording 83% in math proficiency and 89% in reading.
The third spot goes to Winston Churchill High School (84% math / 87% reading), who is tied with Eastern Technical and River Hill high schools. Poolesville High School earned the seventh spot (80% math / 85% reading). Rounding out the top 25 are: Walter Johnson High School (#14 with 69% math / 80% reading), Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School (#15 with 64% math / 86% reading) and Richard Montgomery High School (#23 with 60% math / 73% reading).
All seven of these high schools received a 10/10 overall rating, which indicates that student test scores for that school are in the top 5% among all Maryland public schools. Twelve MCPS high schools ranked within the state’s Top 50. Sixteen of the 25 comprehensive MCPS high schools listed achieved overall ratings of 8/10 or higher.
View the Best Public High Schools in Maryland list.
Middle Schools: Strong Showing Across the County
MCPS middle schools demonstrated strong academic performance statewide, with eight schools placing in Maryland's Top 25.
Thomas W. Pyle Middle School led the district's middle school standings, securing the #4 spot statewide (60% math / 83% reading). Robert Frost Middle School also scored high marks, coming in at #6 (53% math / 78% reading). Additional MCPS middle schools in the top 25 include:
- #11 – Herbert Hoover Middle School
- #13 – Cabin John Middle School
- #16 – North Bethesda Middle School
- #19 – Takoma Park Middle School
- #21 – Westland Middle School
- #22 – John Poole Middle School
Both Pyle and Frost received a 10/10 overall rating, with the remaining top 25 schools receiving a 9/10 overall rating. Proficiency rates in leading MCPS middle schools remained dramatically higher than state baseline figures, driven by strong performative metrics in advanced math and language arts pathways.
View the Best Public Middle Schools in Maryland list.
Elementary Schools: Early Education Footprint
MCPS elementary schools represent nearly half the state's highest-ranking elementary programs, with 12 schools in the top 25.
Bradley Hills Elementary School in Bethesda led the district's elementary cohort at #4 statewide (83% math / 85% reading). Bannockburn Elementary School secured a top spot at #6 statewide (79% math / 85%-89% reading).
Additional MCPS elementary schools in the top 25 include:
- #8 – Seven Locks Elementary School
- #9 (tie) – Cold Spring Elementary School
- #9 (tie) – Westbrook Elementary School
- #11 (tie) – Carderock Springs Elementary School
- #11 (tie) – Wayside Elementary School
- #13 – Bells Mill Elementary School
- #17 – Wyngate Elementary School
- #21 – Stone Mill Elementary School (tied with Freedom District Timonium elementary schools)
- #24 – Wood Acres Elementary School
- #25 – Potomac Elementary School
All 12 elementary schools earned an overall ranking of 10/10 and consistently scored in the top 1% to 5% statewide for combined testing metrics.
View the Best Public Elementary Schools in Maryland list.
Specialized Schools
Public School Review also evaluated specialized educational facilities serving students with unique learning needs. Stephen Knolls School tied for #76 statewide, receiving an overall rating of 8/10. Stephen Knolls ranks in the top 30% of all schools in Maryland for overall test scores (math proficiency is top 20%, and reading proficiency is top 20%).
To view full ratings, detailed school profiles and comparative metrics across the state, view the full ranks and data here.
About Public School Review
Founded in 2003, Public School Review is an online resource that provides free, detailed profiles and data analysis for over 100,000 K–12 public schools across the United States. By regularly compiling data from federal and state education, the platform evaluates schools against one another and state-wide averages across key metrics such as student-teacher ratios. Alongside its partner sites, Boarding School Review and Private School Review, it is designed to help relocating families and parents compare pre-college educational options and their surrounding communities.
