Wheaton is part of the Downcounty Consortium (DCC). Students who reside within the DCC boundaries participate in the Choice process. Students and parents rank their preferred high schools for school assignment and are assigned to one of 5 high schools via lottery: Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Northwood or Wheaton. The DCC website describes programs at the five schools and the Choice process.
Wheaton offers 4 academies. Two are Project Lead the Way academies: Engineering, and Biosciences and Health Professions. The Institute for Global and Cultural Studies Academy is liberal arts and humanities based and encompasses digital art and music. The Academy of Information Technology is sponsored by the National Academy Foundation. The academies prepare students for postsecondary education and career choices and extend the classroom to the community through job shadowing, speakers, internships, and credit-bearing college courses.