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Howard High

Q: Is Howard High a good school?

Howard High ranks 33 rd of 220 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

33^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 220 Maryland High Schools

Better than 85% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Howard High is a public high school located in Ellicott City, Maryland, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,529 students. It is part of the Howard County Public Schools district, which is ranked 4 out of 25 in the state of Maryland and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Howard High consistently ranks among the top high schools in Maryland, with a statewide ranking between 9 and 62 over the past decade. The school's performance on MCAP (Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program) tests is generally higher than the state and district averages, particularly in English Language Arts, with 78.2% of students proficient or better in 2024-2025, compared to 65.2% for the district and 50.8% for the state. However, the school's performance in MCAP/Mathematics is lower than the district and state averages, with only 28.5% of students proficient or better. Howard High maintains a high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 92.5% to 94.5%, and a relatively low dropout rate of 3.3% to 3.6%.

Compared to nearby schools, Hammond High, Wilde Lake High, and Oakland Mills High, Howard High's academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts, is significantly higher. However, Centennial High, another high-performing school in the district, has even stronger academic results than Howard High. Additionally, Howard High faces challenges with a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 17.3% to 22.0%, which may be a factor contributing to its lower performance in MCAP/Mathematics compared to its English Language Arts results.

1,493

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,053

Per pupil spending ?

20.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8700 Old Annapolis Rd
Ellicott City, MD 21043-6920

(410) 313-2867

District: Howard County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Howard High:

Elementary:	Ilchester Elementary
	Phelps Luck Elementary
	Worthington Elementary
Middle:	Bonnie Branch Middle
	Ellicott Mills Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

34.7%

Asian:

28.0%

African American:

23.3%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Howard High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 51st percentile in 2023 → 85th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 15% of Maryland high schools

✓94% graduate within 4 years

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 85th (2025) from a 51st-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

!Algebra I scores 11 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg51%

Maryland avg37%

33^rd of 220

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 15%▲ up 7 pts since 2015

From top 22% (2015) to top 15% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 13High Schools in the Howard County Public Schools

4^th of 25Howard County Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2025	62.9	33 of 220	85.0%	★★★★☆
2024	58.7	35 of 146	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	47.0	62 of 127	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.9	51 of 225	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	64.7	36 of 138	73.9%	★★★★☆
2018	60.2	51 of 197	74.1%	★★★★☆
2017	70.3	29 of 180	83.9%	★★★★☆
2016	67.7	56 of 233	76.0%	★★★★☆
2015	67.3	51 of 233	78.1%	★★★★☆
2014	82.6	9 of 231	96.1%	★★★★★
2013	86.2	5 of 185	97.3%	★★★★★
2012	84.5	8 of 187	95.7%	★★★★★
2011	84.7	17 of 183	90.7%	★★★★★
2010	80.5	29 of 220	86.8%	★★★★☆
2009	81.7	17 of 213	92.0%	★★★★★
2008	83.0	15 of 214	93.0%	★★★★★
2007	79.0	17 of 209	91.9%	★★★★★
2006	70.5	44 of 204	78.4%	★★★★☆
2005	69.9	27 of 204	86.8%	★★★★☆
2004	56.1	42 of 201	79.1%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts78%+27 vs state

Algebra II36%+12 vs state

Mathematics28%~ state avg

Algebra I10%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Howard High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)		MCAP English Language Arts (2025)			MCAP Algebra I (2025)	MCAP Algebra II (2025)	MCAP Science (2025)	MCAP Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Algebra II End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	MCAP Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Howard High	Public	9-12	8700 Old Annapolis Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2867	1,493	96	15.5	20.2%	518 (34.7%)	348 (23.3%)	94 (6.3%)	418 (28.0%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	108 (7.2%)	62.9	33^rd of 220 public high schools	85.0%		58.7	35^th of 146 public high schools	76.0%	2		28.5		78.2	78.2	10.4	36.5			$19,053	$880	$18,174
Long Reach High	Public	9-12	6101 Old Dobbin Ln	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7117	1,334	97	13.7	37.6%	312 (23.4%)	367 (27.5%)	399 (29.9%)	154 (11.5%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	94 (7.0%)	36.2	120^th of 220 public high schools	45.5%		36	100^th of 146 public high schools	31.5%	20		8.6		61.2	61.2	1.5	14.1			$20,610	$892	$19,718
Oakland Mills High	Public	9-12	9410 Kilimanjaro Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6945	1,413	103	13.7	43.2%	227 (16.1%)	628 (44.4%)	314 (22.2%)	119 (8.4%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	112 (7.9%)	35.2	121^st of 220 public high schools	45.0%		32.9	114^th of 146 public high schools	21.9%	7		5.8		63.7	63.7	3.1	7.6			$20,779	$1,052	$19,727
Wilde Lake High	Public	9-12	5460 Trumpeter Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6965	1,197	86	13.9	42.6%	264 (22.1%)	534 (44.6%)	208 (17.4%)	78 (6.5%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.4%)	101 (8.4%)	32.1	131^st of 220 public high schools	40.5%		36.7	98^th of 146 public high schools	32.9%	33		7.8		55.3	55.3	5.1	9.6			$21,629	$1,004	$20,625
Centennial High	Public	9-12	4300 Centennial Ln	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2856	1,377	81	17.0	18.5%	455 (33.0%)	185 (13.4%)	107 (7.8%)	547 (39.7%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	74 (5.4%)	70.6	23^rd of 220 public high schools	89.5%		77.4	10^th of 146 public high schools	93.2%	13		33.3		83.6	83.6	15.3	41.4			$17,982	$875	$17,107
Homewood School	Public	6-12	10914 Clarksville Pike	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7081	109	43	2.5	45.9%	36 (33.0%)	40 (36.7%)	18 (16.5%)	5 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (8.3%)	10.8	213^th of 220 public high schools	3.2%		14.1	139^th of 146 public high schools	4.8%	74	0.0	0.0	15.4	17.6	16.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	16.7	$81,791	$2,291	$79,501
Applications and Research Laboratory	Public	9-12	10920 Clarksville Pike	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6698	0	33	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Atholton High	Public	9-12	6520 Freetown Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7065	1,540	92	16.7	22.9%	412 (26.8%)	497 (32.3%)	217 (14.1%)	288 (18.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	118 (7.7%)	53.6	58^th of 220 public high schools	73.6%		44.9	73^rd of 146 public high schools	50.0%	15		17.5		76.3	76.3	7.1	22.1			$18,240	$836	$17,404
Hammond High	Public	9-12	8800 Guilford Rd	Columbia	21046	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7615	1,159	81	14.3	37.4%	239 (20.6%)	514 (44.3%)	192 (16.6%)	128 (11.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (7.2%)	51.3	70^th of 220 public high schools	68.2%		39.5	91^st of 146 public high schools	37.7%	21		13.5		78.4	78.4	5.5	20.7			$20,375	$1,025	$19,351
Guilford Park High	Public	9-12	8500 Ridgelys Run Rd	Jessup	20794	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(410) 313-7430	1,218	78	15.6	45.2%	222 (18.2%)	465 (38.2%)	300 (24.6%)	158 (13.0%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.4%)	63 (5.2%)								(n/a)		11.9		57.7	57.7	9.3	14.0			$21,328	$961	$20,367

Frequently Asked Questions about Howard High

What district is Howard High in?

Howard County Public Schools

What schools feed into Howard High?

Howard High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Ilchester Elementary
Elementary : Phelps Luck Elementary
Elementary : Worthington Elementary
Middle : Bonnie Branch Middle
Middle : Ellicott Mills Middle

What is the racial makeup of Howard High?

Students at Howard High are 35% White, 28% Asian, 23% African American, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

How many students attend Howard High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,493 students attended Howard High.

Is Howard High a good school?

Howard High ranks 33^rd of 220 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Howard High!

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Schools in Ellicott City, MD

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.