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Watkins Mill High

Q: Is Watkins Mill High a good school?

Watkins Mill High ranks 150 th of 220 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

150^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 220 Maryland High Schools

Better than 32% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Watkins Mill High is a public magnet high school located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,661 students. The school is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, which is ranked 8th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Watkins Mill High has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state averages in standardized test scores, particularly in mathematics and Algebra I. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 3.6% of Watkins Mill High students were proficient or better in MCAP/Mathematics for All Grades, compared to 35.7% for the district and 26.5% for the state. The school's performance in MCAP/English Language Arts has been slightly better, with 43.6% of 10th-grade students proficient or better in 2024-2025, compared to 65.5% for the district and 59.5% for the state. Watkins Mill High has also struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 23.2% to 51.1% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average.

Despite these academic challenges, Watkins Mill High maintains a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 89.6% to 92.1% in recent years. However, the school's dropout rate has been higher than the state average, ranging from 3.2% to 6.0% in recent years. Watkins Mill High's performance lags behind many of the nearby high schools, such as Thomas S. Wootton High, Damascus High, and Clarksburg High, which have higher test scores, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism rates. However, Watkins Mill High's performance is comparable to or slightly better than that of John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children & Adolescents, a specialized school serving a unique student population.

1,577

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,020

Per pupil spending ?

51.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10301 Apple Ridge Rd
Gaithersburg, MD 20879

(301) 284-4400

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Watkins Mill High:

Elementary:	South Lake Elementary
	Stedwick Elementary
	Watkins Mill Elementary
	Whetstone Elementary
Middle:	Montgomery Village Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.6%

African American:

22.5%

Asian:

8.2%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Watkins Mill High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 35th percentile in 2010 → 32nd in 2025

Strengths

✓92% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (27% vs 37% meeting standards)

!Mathematics scores 23 pts below the Maryland average

!Near the bottom of Montgomery County Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg46%

Maryland avg37%

150^th of 220

Maryland public high schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 28% (2015) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd of 25High Schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools

8^th of 25Montgomery 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	25.3	150 of 220	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.3	174 of 225	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.4	150 of 180	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.5	151 of 233	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.3	168 of 233	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	42.5	163 of 231	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	23.7	152 of 185	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	31.7	142 of 187	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	32.8	136 of 183	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	49.6	143 of 220	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.4	130 of 213	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	53.1	133 of 214	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	43.4	130 of 209	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.1	114 of 204	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	50.4	100 of 204	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2004	53.2	56 of 201	72.1%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts44%-7 vs state

Mathematics4%-23 vs state

Algebra I4%-18 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Saturday, February 2, 2019

The support at this school is amazing. From admin, secretary’s, guidance counselors, wellness center, College Tracks, ACES Program, athletics and the list goes on. A diamond in the rough. So miss represented do too long. You don’t know unless you come and find out for yourself. Close Quote

Schools Near Watkins Mill High

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)	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 All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Watkins Mill High	Public, Magnet	9-12	10301 Apple Ridge Rd	Gaithersburg	20879	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 284-4400	1,577	114	13.8	51.7%	86 (5.5%)	355 (22.5%)	955 (60.6%)	130 (8.2%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	43 (2.7%)	25.3	150^th of 220 public high schools	31.8%					(n/a)	3.6	43.6	43.6	3.6	$21,020	$1,518	$19,502
Seneca Valley High	Public, Magnet	9-12	19401 Crystal Rock Dr	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-6400	2,409	159	15.1	49.2%	274 (11.4%)	892 (37.0%)	861 (35.7%)	269 (11.2%)	3 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	105 (4.4%)	40.5	105^th of 220 public high schools	52.3%					(n/a)	3.0	59.3	59.3	3.0	$19,473	$1,318	$18,155
Gaithersburg High	Public, Magnet	9-12	101 Education Blvd	Gaithersburg	20877	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 284-4500	2,441	175	13.9	55.7%	206 (8.4%)	485 (19.9%)	1,527 (62.6%)	145 (5.9%)	3 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	70 (2.9%)	24.3	153^rd of 220 public high schools	30.5%					(n/a)	6.2	42.8	42.8	6.2	$20,333	$1,272	$19,061
Clarksburg High	Public, Magnet	9-12	22500 Wims Rd	Clarksburg	20871	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-6000	2,241	131	17.0	36.9%	308 (13.7%)	625 (27.9%)	614 (27.4%)	572 (25.5%)	7 (0.3%)	3 (0.1%)	104 (4.6%)	50	73^rd of 220 public high schools	66.8%		56.3	38^th of 146 public high schools	74.0%	35	5.6	63.6	63.6	5.6	$18,789	$1,206	$17,583
Northwest High	Public, Magnet	9-12	13501 Richter Farm Rd	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-7100	2,300	138	16.7	36.1%	482 (21.0%)	602 (26.2%)	600 (26.1%)	471 (20.5%)	3 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	130 (5.7%)	63.3	31^st of 220 public high schools	85.9%					(n/a)	7.8	71.6	71.6	7.8	$17,959	$1,282	$16,677
Quince Orchard High	Public	9-12	15800 Quince Orchard Rd	Gaithersburg	20878	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-3600	2,100	131	16.0	38.0%	656 (31.2%)	312 (14.9%)	769 (36.6%)	224 (10.7%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	124 (5.9%)	48.3	77^th of 220 public high schools	65.0%					(n/a)	3.5	63.3	63.3	3.5	$18,368	$914	$17,454
Col. Zadok Magruder High	Public, Magnet	9-12	5939 Muncaster Mill Rd	Rockville	20855	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-5550	1,671	109	15.3	48.2%	343 (20.5%)	321 (19.2%)	734 (43.9%)	195 (11.7%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (4.2%)	43.5	94^th of 220 public high schools	57.3%					(n/a)	1.4	61.6	61.6	1.4	$20,372	$1,605	$18,767
Damascus High	Public	9-12	25921 Ridge Rd	Damascus	20872	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 207-2400	1,390	86	16.1	30.6%	526 (37.8%)	186 (13.4%)	426 (30.6%)	152 (10.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	95 (6.8%)	54.6	51^st of 220 public high schools	76.8%		61.6	28^th of 146 public high schools	80.8%	23	5.4	68.1	68.1	5.4	$20,784	$1,610	$19,174
Thomas S. Wootton High	Public	9-12	2100 Wootton Pkwy	Rockville	20850	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1500	1,870	101	18.5	13.4%	635 (34.0%)	238 (12.7%)	174 (9.3%)	700 (37.4%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	113 (6.0%)	83.1	7^th of 220 public high schools	96.8%		85.5	2^nd of 146 public high schools	98.6%	5	5.5	85.7	85.7	5.5	$17,926	$1,166	$16,760
Alternative Programs	Public	6-12	14501 Avery Road	Rockville	20853	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-5000	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)		0.0	0.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Watkins Mill High

Is Watkins Mill High a good school?

Watkins Mill High ranks 150^th of 220 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Watkins Mill High?

Students at Watkins Mill High are 61% Hispanic, 23% African American, 8% Asian, 5% White, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Watkins Mill High in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

What schools feed into Watkins Mill High?

Watkins Mill High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : South Lake Elementary
Elementary : Stedwick Elementary
Elementary : Watkins Mill Elementary
Elementary : Whetstone Elementary
Middle : Montgomery Village Middle

How many students attend Watkins Mill High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,577 students attended Watkins Mill High.

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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.