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Northwood Elementary

Q: Is Northwood Elementary a good school?

Northwood Elementary ranks 617 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

617^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 29% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Northwood Elementary in Baltimore, MD, is a PK-5 school serving 641 students within the Baltimore City Public Schools district, where a high percentage of students come from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Northwood stands out as a consistent outperformer within its district. In the most recent school year, its proficiency rates in Mathematics (20.1%) and English Language Arts (35.2%) were significantly higher than the district averages (13.3% and 32.9%, respectively). This is a clear differentiator, as many nearby schools like Montebello Elementary/Middle and Yorkwood Elementary perform below the district average. The school also shows a notable strength in maintaining stable math performance across grades, unlike peers such as Yorkwood, which sees a sharp decline from 3rd to 4th grade. While chronic absenteeism is a challenge at 44.6%, it is slightly better than the district average and has been improving since a peak in 2021-2022. The school’s per-student spending ($23,063) is higher than the district average and schools like Hamilton Elementary/Middle, though it also has a higher student-teacher ratio (17:1) compared to neighbors like Govans Elementary.

An interesting comparison is with Tunbridge Public Charter School, located just over a mile away, which is a top-performing school in the district. The most significant difference is the student population: Tunbridge has a much lower percentage of students eligible for free/reduced lunch (42.8%) compared to Northwood’s 76.44%. This highlights the profound impact of socio-economic factors on academic outcomes, making Northwood’s performance, while below state averages, quite impressive given the challenges it serves. The school has also shown a strong recovery from a dip in 2022-2023, likely due to the pandemic, with math and ELA proficiency rising steadily since then. However, science proficiency (15.7% in 5th grade) remains a significant weakness, and the school particularly struggles with supporting its male students and those from low socio-economic backgrounds, a critical area for targeted intervention.

641

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,063

Per pupil spending ?

76.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5201 Loch Raven Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21239-3522

(410) 396-6377

District: Baltimore City Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

90.2%

Hispanic:

5.3%

Two or more races:

2.3%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 31st percentile in 2016 → 29th in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Baltimore City Public Schools

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (26% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Science scores 17 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg23%

Maryland avg39%

617^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 29%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^th of 103Elementary Schools in the Baltimore City Public Schools

24^th of 25Baltimore City 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
2026	26.0	617 of 864	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.6	510 of 865	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.7	589 of 859	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	15.5	729 of 855	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.7	685 of 862	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.6	724 of 802	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.0	640 of 853	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.5	595 of 857	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	22.6	636 of 847	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	27.5	586 of 845	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	32.0	556 of 859	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	28.5	684 of 867	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	32.1	629 of 847	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	33.1	636 of 857	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	32.3	636 of 853	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	45.9	547 of 855	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	37.6	599 of 850	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	40.9	574 of 838	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	66.7	291 of 818	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	74.3	201 of 804	75.0%	★★★★☆
2005	76.7	173 of 805	78.5%	★★★★☆
2004	71.1	239 of 803	70.2%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	22.7	421 of 504	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	16.9	687 of 796	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	20.2	520 of 546	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	12.9	748 of 788	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2021)16th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2021)14th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2021)5th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)5th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts35%-17 vs state

Mathematics20%-7 vs state

Science16%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Northwood Elementary

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)							MCAP English Language Arts (2026)							MCAP Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Science (2026)		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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th 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 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5201 Loch Raven Boulevard	Baltimore	21239	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6377	641	38	17.0	76.4%	11 (1.7%)	578 (90.2%)	34 (5.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.3%)	26	617^th of 864 public elementary schools	28.6%		35.6	510^th of 865 public elementary schools	41.0%	107	21.2	18.8	20.0				20.1	36.8	37.0	31.5				35.2		15.7		$23,063	$4,298	$18,766
Yorkwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5931 Yorkwood Road	Baltimore	21239	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6364	294	21	14.3	82.0%	1 (0.3%)	274 (93.2%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	18.8	699^th of 864 public elementary schools	19.1%		23.1	640^th of 865 public elementary schools	26.0%	59	23.1	5.5	15.4				13.5	33.3	16.4	38.5				27.8		12.8		$25,164	$4,735	$20,429
Leith Walk Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	5915 Glennor Road	Baltimore	21239	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6380	910	65	14.1	80.2%	12 (1.3%)	833 (91.5%)	47 (5.2%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.3%)	13.4	775^th of 864 public elementary schools	10.3%		18.8	703^rd of 865 public elementary schools	18.7%	72	14.1	5.2	8.0	2.7	2.7	2.5	5.4	32.9	25.8	13.8	25.7	36.0	12.6	24.3		8.0	1.7	$21,336	$4,372	$16,964
Walter P. Carter Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	820 E 43rd Street	Baltimore	21212	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6271	834	53	15.8	86.9%	6 (0.7%)	777 (93.2%)	35 (4.2%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.1%)	7.8	843^rd of 864 public elementary schools	2.4%		9.2	843^rd of 865 public elementary schools	2.5%		6.3	3.7	1.1	0.0	1.1	5.5	2.8	20.9	8.4	13.3	21.6	18.2	16.3	16.3		3.4	3.3	$22,495	$4,482	$18,013
Lois T. Murray Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	820 E 43rd Street	Baltimore	21212	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 396-7463	33	12	2.7	75.8%	2 (6.1%)	27 (81.8%)	2 (6.1%)	2 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Garrett Heights Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	2800 Ailsa Avenue	Baltimore	21214	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6361	320	26	12.3	74.1%	20 (6.3%)	274 (85.6%)	15 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	27.8	598^th of 864 public elementary schools	30.8%		27.4	581^st of 865 public elementary schools	32.8%	17	31.3	4.1	8.0	22.0	4.5	3.7	10.3	37.5	0.0	16.0	48.8	35.7	32.1	30.8		8.0	5.7	$24,021	$5,189	$18,832
Govans Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	5801 York Road	Baltimore	21212	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6396	410	31	13.4	69.3%	22 (5.4%)	347 (84.6%)	33 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	25	627^th of 864 public elementary schools	27.4%		17.7	720^th of 865 public elementary schools	16.8%	93	18.3	19.7	18.9				19.0	42.4	34.4	26.4				34.7		13.2		$28,783	$6,241	$22,543
Tunbridge Public Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	5504 York Road	Baltimore	21212	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(410) 323-8692	493	26	18.9	42.8%	47 (9.5%)	386 (78.3%)	23 (4.7%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.3%)	57	353^rd of 864 public elementary schools	59.1%		48.4	418^th of 865 public elementary schools	51.7%	65	56.6	15.7	38.9	11.9	21.6	32.4	31.7	63.0	47.1	57.4	54.2	56.9	82.4	60.0	85.7	29.6	35.3	$20,779	$3,682	$17,097
Montebello Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	2040 E 32nd Street	Baltimore	21218	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6576	542	34	16.1	88.6%	2 (0.4%)	506 (93.4%)	26 (4.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	16.1	737^th of 864 public elementary schools	14.7%		20.3	680^th of 865 public elementary schools	21.4%	57	23.8	10.4	7.8	8.5	8.5	4.4	10.0	35.7	16.3	21.6	23.0	23.9	16.2	22.2		10.0	1.5	$22,524	$4,402	$18,121
Waverly Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	3400 Ellerslie Avenue	Baltimore	21218	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6394	534	37	14.4	82.2%	8 (1.5%)	479 (89.7%)	37 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.7%)	14.1	763^rd of 864 public elementary schools	11.7%		18.1	712^th of 865 public elementary schools	17.7%	51	17.8	9.1	8.2	0.0	7.0	0.0	6.5	26.7	18.2	12.0	35.8	43.0	23.4	28.7	10.7	4.0	5.3	$24,490	$5,214	$19,275

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwood Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Northwood Elementary?

Students at Northwood Elementary are 90% African American, 5% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 2% White.

How many students attend Northwood Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 641 students attended Northwood Elementary.

What district is Northwood Elementary in?

Baltimore City Public Schools

Is Northwood Elementary a good school?

Northwood Elementary ranks 617^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Northwood Elementary attend?

Students who attend Northwood Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Booker T. Washington Middle
Middle : Stadium School
Middle : The Crossroads School
Middle : Vanguard Collegiate Middle
High : Academy for College and Career Exploration
High : Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts
High : Baltimore City College
High : Baltimore Design School
High : Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women
High : Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
High : Baltimore School for the Arts
High : Benjamin Franklin High School at Masonville Cove
High : Carver Vocational-Technical High
High : City Neighbors High
High : ConneXions: A Community Based Arts School
High : Coppin Academy
High : Digital Harbor High School
High : Edmondson-Westside High
High : Forest Park High
High : Frederick Douglass High
High : Green Street Academy
High : Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High
High : National Academy Foundation
High : Patterson High
High : Paul Laurence Dunbar High
High : Reginald F. Lewis High
High : Renaissance Academy
High : The Reach! Partnership School
High : Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy
High : Western High

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresNewJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

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

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 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.