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Ilchester Elementary

Q: Is Ilchester Elementary a good school?

Ilchester Elementary ranks 92 nd of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

92^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 89% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Ilchester Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school in Ellicott City, Maryland, serving 518 students in grades PK-5. Part of the Howard County Public Schools district, which is ranked 4 out of 25 in the state, Ilchester Elementary has consistently been one of the top-performing elementary schools in Maryland, ranking within the top 50 schools in the state for the past several years.

Ilchester Elementary's academic performance is particularly impressive, with 64.5% of students proficient or better in Mathematics and 69.2% proficient or better in English Language Arts (ELA), significantly outperforming the district and state averages. The school's performance is especially strong in 3rd grade, where 75.3% of students were proficient or better in Mathematics and 70.8% in ELA. Ilchester also has a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate of 12.0%, lower than the state average.

While Ilchester Elementary is a top-performing school in the Howard County district, there are a few nearby schools, such as Rockburn Elementary and Worthington Elementary, that have even stronger academic performance, ranking among the top 50 and top 10 Maryland elementary schools, respectively. Ilchester's success may be attributed to its relatively low student-teacher ratio of 11.7 and higher per-student spending of $21,779, compared to the state average of $17,940.

482

Students ?

12.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,779

Per pupil spending ?

13.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4981 Ilchester Rd
Ellicott City, MD 21043

(410) 313-2524

District: Howard County Public Schools

Students who attend Ilchester Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bonnie Branch Middle
High:	Howard High

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.0%

Asian:

27.4%

African American:

12.0%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Ilchester Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 93rd percentile in 2015 → 89th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (65% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of Maryland elementary schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school65%

District avg52%

Maryland avg38%

92^nd of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 11%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From top 7% (2015) to top 11% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 42Elementary 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	89.9	92 of 865	89.4%	★★★★☆
2024	90.1	79 of 859	90.8%	★★★★★
2023	93.2	55 of 855	93.6%	★★★★★
2022	94.8	43 of 862	95.0%	★★★★★
2021	94.8	39 of 802	95.1%	★★★★★
2019	95.4	34 of 853	96.0%	★★★★★
2018	96.0	30 of 857	96.5%	★★★★★
2017	96.0	21 of 847	97.5%	★★★★★
2016	93.6	42 of 845	95.0%	★★★★★
2015	92.2	61 of 859	92.9%	★★★★★
2014	85.2	73 of 867	91.6%	★★★★★
2013	83.6	70 of 847	91.7%	★★★★★
2012	79.5	125 of 857	85.4%	★★★★☆
2011	86.7	29 of 853	96.6%	★★★★★
2010	87.0	26 of 855	97.0%	★★★★★
2009	86.0	45 of 850	94.7%	★★★★★
2008	86.6	33 of 838	96.1%	★★★★★
2007	6.7	768 of 818	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	7.3	754 of 804	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	3.0	778 of 805	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	4.7	763 of 803	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	74.6	52 of 504	89.7%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	60.6	56 of 128	56.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	98.7	8 of 796	99.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	83.7	91 of 788	88.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	83.5	60 of 528	88.6%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2021)99th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2021)90th percentile-5 vs school

White (2021)89th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2021)88th percentile-7 vs school

Asian (2021)56th percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts69%+18 vs state

Mathematics64%+38 vs state

Science48%+23 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, May 7, 2019

This is an awesome school. We considered a few other schools in Howard County before deciding on Ilchester. I am very glad we did. The teaching and supporting staff do an amazing job making each day for the students fun and educational. I can say at least the teachers we have had all genuinely care about each student. The school culture is great. I have not heard about any instance of bullying. The new principal is excellent and very involved in student activities and communicates well with parents. Close Quote

Schools Near Ilchester Elementary

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 Science (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 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ilchester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4981 Ilchester Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2524	482	38	12.6	13.7%	212 (44.0%)	58 (12.0%)	29 (6.0%)	132 (27.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (10.4%)	89.9	92^nd of 865 public elementary schools	89.4%		90.1	79^th of 859 public elementary schools	90.8%	13	75.3	58.4	60.6	64.5	70.8	72.2	63.1	69.2	48.5	$21,779	$1,327	$20,452
Rockburn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6145 Montgomery Rd	Elkridge	21075	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5030	649	53	12.2	12.3%	270 (41.6%)	81 (12.5%)	34 (5.2%)	196 (30.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	64 (9.9%)	95.6	32^nd of 865 public elementary schools	96.3%		92.2	59^th of 859 public elementary schools	93.1%	27	76.0	74.8	59.0	69.9	82.7	81.6	77.1	80.4	55.8	$18,033	$796	$17,237
Worthington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4570 Roundhill Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2825	403	34	11.7	11.7%	153 (38.0%)	51 (12.7%)	26 (6.5%)	142 (35.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.9%)	97.4	11^th of 865 public elementary schools	98.7%		97.7	10^th of 859 public elementary schools	98.8%	1	81.6	72.1	75.0	75.7	85.7	86.8	82.9	85.0	56.9	$23,142	$885	$22,257
Bellows Spring Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8125 Old Stockbridge Dr	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5057	806	64	12.5	26.3%	146 (18.1%)	256 (31.8%)	79 (9.8%)	274 (34.0%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (5.6%)	80.3	177^th of 865 public elementary schools	79.5%		79.1	173^rd of 859 public elementary schools	79.9%	4	57.7	62.9	46.8	56.2	64.8	68.0	55.0	63.0	33.6	$19,642	$925	$18,717
Waterloo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5940 Waterloo Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5014	666	52	12.8	32.1%	215 (32.3%)	201 (30.2%)	94 (14.1%)	96 (14.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	56 (8.4%)	86.6	115^th of 865 public elementary schools	86.7%		85.4	115^th of 859 public elementary schools	86.6%		57.4	67.0	51.0	58.3	69.6	75.8	69.2	71.5	37.9	$20,202	$1,076	$19,126
Phelps Luck Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5370 Oldstone Ct	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6886	681	58	11.6	46.5%	189 (27.8%)	164 (24.1%)	224 (32.9%)	54 (7.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.2%)	56.7	358^th of 865 public elementary schools	58.6%		48.4	390^th of 859 public elementary schools	54.6%	32	49.6	40.0	28.0	39.7	54.8	50.5	41.8	49.4	22.4	$21,395	$1,428	$19,967
Ducketts Lane Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6501 Ducketts Ln	Elkridge	21075	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-5050	573	54	10.5	60.6%	62 (10.8%)	195 (34.0%)	189 (33.0%)	77 (13.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	46 (8.0%)	45.3	447^th of 865 public elementary schools	48.3%		35.5	487^th of 859 public elementary schools	43.3%	40	44.4	27.1	18.9	31.4	48.0	48.8	42.5	46.7	13.7	$22,441	$1,578	$20,863
Veterans Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4355 Montgomery Road	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-1700	883	68	13.0	27.5%	193 (21.9%)	166 (18.8%)	82 (9.3%)	367 (41.6%)	7 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	65 (7.4%)	81.8	162^nd of 865 public elementary schools	81.3%		83	143^rd of 859 public elementary schools	83.4%	19	57.7	56.6	51.4	55.1	63.1	66.9	54.6	61.3	44.0	$17,839	$979	$16,861
Elkridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7075 Montgomery Rd	Elkridge	21075	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5006	798	57	14.0	45.9%	214 (26.8%)	272 (34.1%)	75 (9.4%)	173 (21.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (7.8%)	62	317^th of 865 public elementary schools	63.4%		55.9	331^st of 859 public elementary schools	61.5%	14	46.2	33.3	41.1	40.3	55.0	38.3	61.0	51.9	30.1	$17,789	$818	$16,971
Westchester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 Old Frederick Rd	Baltimore	21228	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-1088	662	44	15.0	26.6%	369 (55.7%)	55 (8.3%)	86 (13.0%)	94 (14.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (8.5%)	76.5	209^th of 865 public elementary schools	75.8%		81.5	153^rd of 859 public elementary schools	82.2%	56	60.3	58.1	35.4	52.1	58.6	64.0	57.1	60.1	34.7	$16,919	$1,310	$15,609

Frequently Asked Questions about Ilchester Elementary

What schools do graduates of Ilchester Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ilchester Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bonnie Branch Middle
High : Howard High

How many students attend Ilchester Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 482 students attended Ilchester Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Ilchester Elementary?

Students at Ilchester Elementary are 44% White, 27% Asian, 12% African American, 10% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

Is Ilchester Elementary a good school?

Ilchester Elementary ranks 92^nd of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Ilchester Elementary in?

Howard County Public Schools

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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.