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Southern High

Q: Is Southern High a good school?

Southern High ranks 71 st of 220 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

71^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 220 Maryland High Schools

Better than 68% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Southern High is a public high school located in Harwood, Maryland, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,073 students. It is part of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools district, which is ranked 13 out of 25 in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite spending more per student, ranging from $15,901 to $19,270 compared to the district average of around $17,000, Southern High faces several academic challenges. The school has significantly lower proficiency rates in Mathematics and Algebra I compared to the district and state averages, with only 6.1% of students proficient or better in MCAP Mathematics in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to 28.8% in the district and 26.5% statewide. Additionally, Southern High has a slightly lower four-year graduation rate of 88-92% and a higher chronic absenteeism rate of 22.1% to 27.2%, compared to the district averages.

When comparing Southern High to other high schools in the same district, such as Crofton High, South River High, and Annapolis High, the school's academic performance is significantly lower. These nearby schools have higher proficiency rates, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism. The higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Southern High, ranging from 31.75% to 39.98% in recent years, suggests a more economically disadvantaged student population compared to the district average of around 20%.

1,080

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,270

Per pupil spending ?

41.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4400 Solomons Island Rd
Harwood, MD 20776-9504

(410) 867-7100

District: Anne Arundel County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Southern High:

Elementary:	Deale Elementary
	Lothian Elementary
	Shady Side Elementary
	Traceys Elementary
Middle:	Southern Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.5%

Hispanic:

26.2%

African American:

8.1%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Southern High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 74th percentile in 2014 → 68th in 2025

Strengths

✓93% graduate within 4 years

✓Above the Maryland median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (31% vs 37% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2014

!Mathematics scores 20 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg41%

Maryland avg37%

71^st of 220

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 32%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 15High Schools in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools

13^th of 25Anne Arundel 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	50.7	71 of 220	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.1	45 of 146	69.2%	★★★★☆
2023	38.2	87 of 127	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.9	69 of 225	69.3%	★★★★☆
2019	55.4	57 of 138	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.0	44 of 197	77.7%	★★★★☆
2017	64.5	43 of 180	76.1%	★★★★☆
2016	67.9	53 of 233	77.3%	★★★★☆
2015	61.5	70 of 233	70.0%	★★★★☆
2014	76.8	61 of 231	73.6%	★★★★☆
2013	70.4	66 of 185	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.6	64 of 187	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.9	61 of 183	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	77.4	48 of 220	78.2%	★★★★☆
2009	80.9	21 of 213	90.1%	★★★★★
2008	82.7	18 of 214	91.6%	★★★★★
2007	67.4	60 of 209	71.3%	★★★★☆
2006	66.2	55 of 204	73.0%	★★★★☆
2005	54.6	84 of 204	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	48.6	85 of 201	57.7%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts71%+21 vs state

Mathematics6%-20 vs state

Algebra I6%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southern 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 Geometry (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 All Grades	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 Geometry 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
Southern High	Public	9-12	4400 Solomons Island Rd	Harwood	20776	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 867-7100	1,080	67	16.1	41.5%	643 (59.5%)	87 (8.1%)	283 (26.2%)	9 (0.8%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	53 (4.9%)	50.7	71^st of 220 public high schools	67.7%		53.1	45^th of 146 public high schools	69.2%	26	6.1	71.4	71.4	6.1					$19,270	$1,384	$17,887
Center of Applied Technology-South	Public	9-12	211 Central Ave E	Edgewater	21037	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 956-5900	0	19	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
South River High	Public, Magnet	9-12	201 Central Ave E	Edgewater	21037	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 956-5600	1,680	98	17.1	20.2%	1,178 (70.1%)	75 (4.5%)	261 (15.5%)	77 (4.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	86 (5.1%)	70.6	24^th of 220 public high schools	89.1%		67.2	18^th of 146 public high schools	87.7%	6	20.2	83.8	83.8	20.2					$17,738	$1,180	$16,558
Annapolis High	Public, Magnet	9-12	2700 Riva Rd	Annapolis	21401	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 266-5240	2,075	140	14.8	62.6%	460 (22.2%)	472 (22.7%)	1,032 (49.7%)	41 (2.0%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	58 (2.8%)	26.5	146^th of 220 public high schools	33.6%					(n/a)	3.8	50.1	50.1	3.8					$17,669	$1,280	$16,389
Dr. Henry A. Wise Junior High	Public	9-12	12650 Brooke Ln	Upper Marlboro	20772	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 780-2100	2,291	121	18.9	57.9%	44 (1.9%)	1,703 (74.3%)	497 (21.7%)	9 (0.4%)	10 (0.4%)	3 (0.1%)	24 (1.0%)	26.7	145^th of 220 public high schools	34.1%					(n/a)	5.2	53.9	53.9	10.0	9.5	3.5			$17,819	$1,031	$16,788
Crofton High School	Public	9-12	2291 Davidsonville Road	Gambrills	21054	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 451-5300	1,906	99	19.3	17.3%	975 (51.2%)	411 (21.6%)	219 (11.5%)	159 (8.3%)	4 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	125 (6.6%)	75.1	17^th of 220 public high schools	92.3%		67.1	19^th of 146 public high schools	87.0%	2	22.6	88.9	88.9	22.6					$14,834	$1,075	$13,759
Studio 39	Public	9-12	291 Locust Avenue	Annapolis	21401	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 280-1501	0	2	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Phoenix Academy	Public	6-12	245 Clay Street	Annapolis	21401	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 222-1650	64	37	1.7	81.3%	12 (18.8%)	38 (59.4%)	12 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.1%)	8.3	216^th of 220 public high schools	1.8%					(n/a)	1.9	4.4	4.5	0.0			0.0	0.0	$41,452	$4,298	$37,154
Bowie High	Public	9-12	15200 Annapolis Rd	Bowie	20715	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 805-2600	2,580	135	19.1	52.8%	183 (7.1%)	1,714 (66.4%)	533 (20.7%)	82 (3.2%)	9 (0.3%)	8 (0.3%)	51 (2.0%)	27.8	141^st of 220 public high schools	35.9%		42.8	78^th of 146 public high schools	46.6%	63	3.6	55.3	55.3	10.8	2.3	3.7			$16,630	$1,145	$15,485
Frederick Douglass High	Public, Magnet	9-12	8000 Croom Rd	Upper Marlboro	20772	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 952-2400	1,183	62	19.0	44.7%	18 (1.5%)	992 (83.9%)	127 (10.7%)	11 (0.9%)	9 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	22 (1.9%)	59.1	40^th of 220 public high schools	81.8%					(n/a)	6.8	66.3	66.3	6.8					$18,173	$982	$17,190

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern High

Is Southern High a good school?

Southern High ranks 71^st of 220 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Southern High in?

Anne Arundel County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Southern High?

Students at Southern High are 60% White, 26% Hispanic, 8% African American, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend Southern High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,080 students attended Southern High.

What schools feed into Southern High?

Southern High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Deale Elementary
Elementary : Lothian Elementary
Elementary : Shady Side Elementary
Elementary : Traceys Elementary
Middle : Southern Middle

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Schools in Harwood, MD

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataJul 30, 2025

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.