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Arbutus Middle

Q: Is Arbutus Middle a good school?

Arbutus Middle ranks 162 nd of 339 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

162^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 339 Maryland Middle Schools

Better than 52% of Maryland middle schools

Summary

Arbutus Middle in Baltimore, MD, is a mid-sized school serving 974 students in grades 6-8 within the Baltimore County Public Schools district, where over half of its students come from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Arbutus Middle presents a unique academic profile, excelling in English Language Arts (ELA) while facing significant challenges in mathematics. In the most recent school year, 50.2% of students were proficient in ELA, outperforming the district average of 46.1% and even slightly exceeding the state average. This strength is particularly notable when compared to nearby schools like Southwest Academy (35.3%) and Lansdowne Middle (24.8%). However, math proficiency is a critical concern, with only 14.9% of students meeting grade-level standards—well below the district (21.9%) and state (27.1%). The drop is especially steep in higher grades, with just 2.4% of 8th graders proficient in grade-level math. Interestingly, students who take advanced courses like Geometry perform relatively well, with 30.8% proficient, suggesting the school effectively accelerates a select group while the majority struggle with the standard curriculum.

Beyond academics, Arbutus Middle has shown remarkable improvement in chronic absenteeism, which dropped from 30.3% in the 2022-2023 school year to 14.9% in the 2024-2025 school year—now significantly better than the district average of 25.6% and lower than peers like Thomas Viaduct Middle (23.4%). The school also stands out for its effective support of economically disadvantaged students, ranking in the 67th percentile for serving this group. While nearby Howard County schools like Bonnie Branch Middle and Elkridge Landing Middle have higher overall test scores, Arbutus Middle is a stable, mid-tier performer within its district, consistently earning a 3-star rating and showing a clear trajectory of recovery and resilience post-pandemic.

974

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,403

Per pupil spending ?

54.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5525 Shelbourne Rd
Baltimore, MD 21227-2736

(410) 887-1402

District: Baltimore County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Arbutus Middle:

Elementary:	Arbutus Elementary
	Catonsville Elementary
	Halethorpe Elementary
	Relay Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.1%

Asian:

23.5%

African American:

18.0%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare Arbutus Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 61st percentile in 2016 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Maryland median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg32%

Maryland avg37%

162^nd of 339

Maryland public middle schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From top 39% (2016) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 29Middle Schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools

18^th of 25Baltimore 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
2026	49.7	162 of 339	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.7	147 of 337	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.2	136 of 328	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.8	148 of 322	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.3	161 of 333	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.5	92 of 303	69.6%	★★★★☆
2019	40.5	172 of 316	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.5	195 of 328	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	52.3	149 of 317	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.4	124 of 314	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.2	126 of 315	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	55.2	168 of 339	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.0	151 of 316	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	55.2	163 of 314	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	61.9	135 of 309	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.2	127 of 324	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.3	114 of 301	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	59.4	138 of 283	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	60.4	101 of 264	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	56.3	108 of 254	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2005	51.4	126 of 255	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	57.1	108 of 252	57.1%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	37.7	165 of 259	36.3%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	18.7	104 of 116	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	63.6	89 of 303	70.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	37.8	123 of 207	40.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	57.9	89 of 273	67.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	54.6	115 of 288	60.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	34.3	82 of 136	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	40.4	124 of 210	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)71st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)67th percentile~ school

Male (2021)60th percentile-10 vs school

White (2021)41st percentile-29 vs school

Hispanic (2021)41st percentile-29 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)40th percentile-30 vs school

African American (2021)36th percentile-33 vs school

Asian (2021)10th percentile-59 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts50%~ state avg

Geometry31%-14 vs state

Science30%~ state avg

Mathematics15%-12 vs state

Algebra I12%-9 vs state

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Schools Near Arbutus Middle

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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 Geometry (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 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 Geometry 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
Arbutus Middle	Public	6-8	5525 Shelbourne Rd	Baltimore	21227	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-1402	974	60	16.1	54.6%	400 (41.1%)	175 (18.0%)	95 (9.8%)	229 (23.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (7.4%)	49.7	162^nd of 339 public middle schools	52.2%		51.7	147^th of 337 public middle schools	56.4%	15				24.0	5.1	2.4	14.9				53.5	47.7	49.2	50.2	12.2	30.8		30.5	$16,403	$1,299	$15,104
Elkridge Landing Middle	Public	6-8	7085 Montgomery Rd	Elkridge	21075	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5040	686	51	13.3	31.0%	233 (34.0%)	171 (24.9%)	76 (11.1%)	153 (22.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (7.3%)	80.3	65^th of 339 public middle schools	80.8%		76.9	71^st of 337 public middle schools	78.9%	6				45.1	23.5	22.5	44.6				67.7	65.1	58.6	63.9	85.7	69.0		39.7	$19,549	$779	$18,770
Lansdowne Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2400 Lansdowne Rd	Baltimore	21227	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(410) 887-1411	661	51	12.9	70.2%	122 (18.5%)	153 (23.1%)	305 (46.1%)	18 (2.7%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (8.8%)	14.6	309^th of 339 public middle schools	8.8%		12	323^rd of 337 public middle schools	4.2%	14				4.6	0.0	0.8	3.8				24.1	27.7	22.4	24.8	13.0	10.0		8.5	$19,327	$2,109	$17,217
Bonnie Branch Middle	Public	6-8	4979 Ilchester Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2580	739	53	14.0	29.2%	255 (34.5%)	171 (23.1%)	125 (16.9%)	143 (19.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.7%)	72.2	90^th of 339 public middle schools	73.5%		78.5	66^th of 337 public middle schools	80.4%	24				36.8	21.7	6.8	39.1				53.5	69.0	61.0	61.8	65.4	78.5		39.1	$18,541	$842	$17,699
Southwest Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	6200 Johnnycake Rd	Baltimore	21207	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 887-0825	842	52	16.1	63.8%	61 (7.2%)	432 (51.3%)	202 (24.0%)	127 (15.1%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	13 (1.5%)	25	251^st of 339 public middle schools	26.0%		22.5	262^nd of 337 public middle schools	22.3%	11				7.2	1.7	2.5	5.3				39.4	39.5	26.7	35.3	11.2	9.1		17.4	$19,023	$2,019	$17,004
Catonsville Middle	Public	6-8	2301 Edmondson Ave	Catonsville	21228	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-0803	818	47	17.4	36.6%	397 (48.5%)	143 (17.5%)	78 (9.5%)	155 (18.9%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.4%)	39 (4.8%)	59.1	123^rd of 339 public middle schools	63.7%		67.2	103^rd of 337 public middle schools	69.4%	20				25.6	6.0	1.0	20.1				50.2	65.7	49.6	55.3	30.5	26.8		39.8	$17,283	$1,238	$16,046
Lindale Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	415 Andover Rd	Linthicum	21090	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 691-4344	884	69	12.8	56.9%	281 (31.8%)	285 (32.2%)	206 (23.3%)	54 (6.1%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.8%)	50 (5.7%)	44.9	172^nd of 339 public middle schools	49.3%		46.4	164^th of 337 public middle schools	51.3%	8				16.0	19.9	7.4	17.6				40.3	45.6	44.0	43.3	50.8			27.1	$16,526	$1,489	$15,036
The Historic Cherry Hill Elementary/Middle	Public	3-8	801 Bridgeview Road	Baltimore	21225	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-1392	513	34	15.0	92.6%	9 (1.8%)	456 (88.9%)	37 (7.2%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	10.1	332^nd of 339 public middle schools	2.1%		10.8	328^th of 337 public middle schools	2.7%	4	2.9	1.0	5.2	0.0	1.3	1.8	2.0	5.9	7.1	6.4	2.2	18.4	16.1	8.6			4.0	7.0	$24,985	$5,003	$19,982
Katherine Johnson Global Academy	Public	3-8	1101 Braddish Avenue	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0581	473	31	15.5	90.5%	13 (2.7%)	413 (87.3%)	37 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	10.4	329^th of 339 public middle schools	2.9%		10	331^st of 337 public middle schools	1.8%	2	6.8	0.0	0.0	1.7	2.2	1.9	2.1	13.6	11.8	0.0	8.5	18.1	13.6	12.1			0.0	1.0	$25,625	$5,536	$20,089
Thomas Viaduct Middle	Public	6-8	7000 Banbury Drive	Hanover	21076	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-8711	758	58	13.1	47.5%	80 (10.6%)	335 (44.2%)	163 (21.5%)	129 (17.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.3%)	36.3	199^th of 339 public middle schools	41.3%		42.7	181^st of 337 public middle schools	46.3%	18				16.7	6.1	2.4	14.6				40.9	41.2	48.4	43.5	40.2	35.7		18.7	$19,005	$1,002	$18,003

Frequently Asked Questions about Arbutus Middle

What is the racial makeup of Arbutus Middle?

Students at Arbutus Middle are 41% White, 24% Asian, 18% African American, 10% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

Is Arbutus Middle a good school?

Arbutus Middle ranks 162^nd of 339 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Arbutus Middle in?

Baltimore County Public Schools

How many students attend Arbutus Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 974 students attended Arbutus Middle.

Rate Arbutus Middle!

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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.