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Baltimore Design School

Q: Is Baltimore Design School a good school?

Baltimore Design School ranks 60 th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-12

60^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 74% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Baltimore Design School (BDS) is a public magnet school in Baltimore, MD, serving 503 students in grades 6 through 12 within the Baltimore City Public Schools district, and has achieved a remarkable turnaround from a 1-star rating to a 4-star school in the top 26% of Maryland high schools.

BDS stands out for its exceptional English Language Arts (ELA) performance, with 46.7% of all students proficient—far exceeding the district average of 32.9% and closing in on the state average. Most impressive is the 10th-grade ELA proficiency rate of 72.5%, which is 25 percentage points above the state average and even surpasses nearby high-performing schools like Paul Laurence Dunbar High (62.2%). The school also excels in 8th-grade math, where 35.3% of students are proficient, a staggering figure compared to the district average of 6.3% and far above every nearby school, including Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women (0%) and National Academy Foundation (6.1%). Chronic absenteeism at BDS is just 30.0%, dramatically lower than the district average of 46.4% and far below peers like Renaissance Academy (88.0%) and The Reach! Partnership School (79.8%), indicating a highly engaged student body.

Despite serving a population where 76% of students are economically disadvantaged, BDS achieves these results with a lower per-student spending ($21,049) than many lower-performing neighbors, such as Eager Street Academy ($45,237). Its student-teacher ratio of 13:1 is also better than nearby high-achievers like Baltimore City College (18.6:1). While math proficiency overall (15.1%) is only slightly above the district average, the school’s unique strengths in 8th-grade math and 10th-grade ELA, combined with its focus on design and project-based learning, make it a standout choice for families seeking a creative, supportive environment with a proven track record of improvement.

503

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,049

Per pupil spending ?

75.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1500 Barclay Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

(443) 642-2311

District: Baltimore City Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

86.5%

White:

5.2%

Hispanic:

5.0%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Baltimore Design School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 12th percentile in 2016 → 74th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 62 percentile points since 2016

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

✓Above the Maryland median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (28% vs 37% meeting standards)

!Science scores 18 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg22%

Maryland avg37%

Middle school

201^st of 339

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 31 pts since 2018

From bottom 10% (2018) to bottom 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

60^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 61 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to top 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 31High 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	35.5	201 of 339	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.3	214 of 337	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.3	257 of 328	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.2	259 of 322	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.5	267 of 333	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.4	268 of 303	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.4	271 of 316	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.2	295 of 328	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	27.7	251 of 339	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	21.6	222 of 259	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	12.8	275 of 303	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	30.2	220 of 273	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	17.8	247 of 288	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	54.2	60 of 227	73.6%	★★★★☆
2025	53.4	60 of 220	72.7%	★★★★☆
2024	37.3	94 of 146	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.3	136 of 225	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	8.8	136 of 138	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.6	126 of 197	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	19.6	148 of 180	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	7.9	204 of 233	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)19th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2021)14th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2021)14th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2021)9th percentile~ school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts47%-5 vs state

Mathematics15%-12 vs state

Science13%-18 vs state

Algebra I12%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Baltimore Design School

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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 (2025)	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 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	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 Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Baltimore Design School	Public	6-12	1500 Barclay Street	Baltimore	21202	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 642-2311	503	39	13.0	75.9%	26 (5.2%)	435 (86.5%)	25 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	54.2	60^th of 227 public high schools	73.6%		53.4	60^th of 220 public high schools	72.7%		10.3	9.0	35.3	15.1	25.6	49.3	30.9	72.5	46.7	11.6	12.7	$21,049	$4,384	$16,665
Eager Street Academy	Public	6-12	926 Greenmount Avenue	Baltimore	21202	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 234-1815	45	10	4.5	57.8%	1 (2.2%)	40 (88.9%)	1 (2.2%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.4%)	8.9	219^th of 227 public high schools	3.5%					(n/a)				0.0				17.2	17.2	0.0		$45,237	$8,592	$36,645
Baltimore School for the Arts	Public	9-12	712 Cathedral Street	Baltimore	21201	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 642-5165	443	28	15.8	24.2%	150 (33.9%)	246 (55.5%)	25 (5.6%)	8 (1.8%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.6%)	70.1	21^st of 227 public high schools	90.7%		75.5	16^th of 220 public high schools	92.7%	5				8.3				88.1	88.1	8.3		$27,113	$5,283	$21,830
Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women	Public, Charter	6-12	128 W Franklin Street	Baltimore	21201	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(443) 642-2048	466	40	11.6	82.6%	1 (0.2%)	455 (97.6%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	9.6	217^th of 227 public high schools	4.4%		15.9	189^th of 220 public high schools	14.1%	28	9.1	6.1	0.0	3.2	24.2	32.7	31.0	18.5	26.8	0.0	0.0	$27,691	$7,661	$20,030
Renaissance Academy	Public	9-12	1301 McCulloh Street	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 984-3164	241	23	10.7	94.2%	0 (0.0%)	223 (92.5%)	14 (5.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	8.7	224^th of 227 public high schools	1.3%		16.6	187^th of 220 public high schools	15.0%	37				1.4				11.1	11.1	1.4		$38,693	$9,264	$29,429
Joseph C. Briscoe Academy	Public	6-12	900 Druid Hill Avenue	Baltimore	21201	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 396-0774	30	17	1.7	86.7%	0 (0.0%)	27 (90.0%)	2 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.3%)								(n/a)
National Academy Foundation	Public	6-12	540 N Caroline Street	Baltimore	21205	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 984-1594	801	60	13.3	64.0%	11 (1.4%)	316 (39.5%)	457 (57.1%)	6 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.7%)	12.3	207^th of 227 public high schools	8.8%		13.5	203^rd of 220 public high schools	7.7%	4	0.0	7.0	6.1	5.3	4.3	12.3	16.0	14.5	12.5	6.1	4.3	$25,006	$4,437	$20,569
Paul Laurence Dunbar High	Public	9-12	1400 Orleans Street	Baltimore	21231	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 642-4478	1,087	60	18.1	77.7%	15 (1.4%)	872 (80.2%)	188 (17.3%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.5%)	49.2	72^nd of 227 public high schools	68.3%		46.7	83^rd of 220 public high schools	62.3%	11				18.7				62.2	62.2	18.7		$18,832	$3,740	$15,092
The Reach! Partnership School	Public	9-12	2555 Harford Road	Baltimore	21218	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 642-2291	724	46	15.7	84.4%	12 (1.7%)	642 (88.7%)	57 (7.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.6%)	6 (0.8%)	8.8	221^st of 227 public high schools	2.6%		12.8	207^th of 220 public high schools	5.9%	14				1.7				12.8	12.8	1.7		$24,125	$5,014	$19,111
Baltimore City College	Public	9-12	3220 The Alameda	Baltimore	21218	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 396-6557	1,470	79	18.6	52.1%	207 (14.1%)	986 (67.1%)	207 (14.1%)	23 (1.6%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	36 (2.4%)	83.9	8^th of 227 public high schools	96.5%		65.1	30^th of 220 public high schools	86.4%	22				46.7				85.0	85.0	46.7		$18,604	$4,067	$14,537

Frequently Asked Questions about Baltimore Design School

What schools feed into Baltimore Design School?

What is the racial makeup of Baltimore Design School?

Students at Baltimore Design School are 86% African American, 5% White, 5% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Baltimore Design School a good school?

Baltimore Design School ranks 60^th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Baltimore Design School in?

Baltimore City Public Schools

How many students attend Baltimore Design School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 503 students attended Baltimore Design School.

Rate Baltimore Design School!

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresJul 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.