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Northern High

Q: Is Northern High a good school?

Northern High ranks 35 th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

35^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 85% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Northern High in Owings, MD, is a large high school serving 1,478 students in grades 9-12 within the highly-ranked Calvert County Public Schools district, which is ranked 3rd out of 25 districts in Maryland.

Northern High stands out for its exceptional academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts (ELA), where 82.3% of students are proficient—far above the state average of 51.7%. While overall math proficiency is solid at 28.7%, the school shows a fascinating pattern: Algebra I proficiency is low at 15.8%, but students who advance to Algebra II achieve an impressive 80.6% proficiency, suggesting strong support for students who master foundational concepts. The school also boasts a low chronic absenteeism rate of 17.1%, significantly better than nearby schools like Calvert High (28.0%) and Thomas Stone High School (38.9%). This indicates a highly engaged student body and positive school climate. Additionally, Northern High demonstrates remarkable spending efficiency, with a per-student cost of $16,256—the lowest among comparable schools—while still achieving superior outcomes compared to neighbors like Surrattsville High and Gwynn Park High.

The school serves a relatively affluent community, with only 20.57% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, which is lower than nearby schools like Southern High (41.48%) and Calvert High (39.26%). Northern High has also shown strong recovery from pandemic-era challenges, with chronic absenteeism dropping from a spike of 26.9% in 2021-2022 to 17.1% in 2024-2025—a more pronounced recovery than many neighboring schools. Overall, Northern High offers a strong academic environment with efficient resource use, making it a standout choice in the region.

1,478

Students ?

18.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,256

Per pupil spending ?

20.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2950 Chaneyville Rd
Owings, MD 20736-9665

(443) 550-8950

District: Calvert County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Northern High:

Elementary:	Beach Elementary
	Mount Harmony Elementary
	Sunderland Elementary
	Windy Hill Elementary
Middle:	Northern Middle
	Windy Hill Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.0%

African American:

11.4%

Two or more races:

9.5%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Northern High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 80th percentile in 2015 → 85th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (46% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of Maryland high schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school46%

District avg50%

Maryland avg38%

35^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 15%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4High Schools in the Calvert County Public Schools

3^rd of 25Calvert 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	63.4	35 of 227	84.6%	★★★★☆
2025	53.9	56 of 220	74.5%	★★★★☆
2024	52.9	46 of 146	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.0	63 of 127	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.9	52 of 225	76.9%	★★★★☆
2019	63.5	42 of 138	69.6%	★★★★☆
2018	66.6	36 of 197	81.7%	★★★★☆
2017	83.2	14 of 180	92.2%	★★★★★
2016	75.8	22 of 233	90.6%	★★★★★
2015	68.6	46 of 233	80.3%	★★★★☆
2014	80.0	35 of 231	84.8%	★★★★☆
2013	84.7	8 of 185	95.7%	★★★★★
2012	83.8	13 of 187	93.0%	★★★★★
2011	85.9	11 of 183	94.0%	★★★★★
2010	82.6	23 of 220	89.5%	★★★★☆
2009	82.5	15 of 213	93.0%	★★★★★
2008	82.9	16 of 214	92.5%	★★★★★
2007	82.9	8 of 209	96.2%	★★★★★
2006	77.7	23 of 204	88.7%	★★★★☆
2005	79.2	11 of 204	94.6%	★★★★★
2004	58.7	26 of 201	87.1%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts82%+31 vs state

Algebra II81%+53 vs state

Geometry40%-5 vs state

Mathematics29%~ state avg

Algebra I16%-5 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a student
Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The staff is great and cares about the students. Teacher qualifications are excellent as one English teacher actually taught English to the princess of Japan! Also the school has some of the best test score records in the state and is the best in Calvert County. Close Quote

Schools Near Northern 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)	MCAP English Language Arts (2026)		MCAP Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Algebra II (2026)	MCAP Geometry (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 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northern High	Public	9-12	2950 Chaneyville Rd	Owings	20736	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-8950	1,478	80	18.5	20.6%	1,020 (69.0%)	169 (11.4%)	106 (7.2%)	36 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.2%)	141 (9.5%)	63.4	35^th of 227 public high schools	84.6%		53.9	56^th of 220 public high schools	74.5%	21	28.7	82.3	82.3	15.8	80.6	39.8	$16,256	$876	$15,380
Huntingtown High School	Public	9-12	4125 N Solomons Island Rd	Huntingtown	20639	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-8810	1,311	74	17.6	20.0%	931 (71.0%)	134 (10.2%)	92 (7.0%)	24 (1.8%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	126 (9.6%)	62	40^th of 227 public high schools	82.4%		53.5	59^th of 220 public high schools	73.2%	19	26.5	83.7	83.7	15.6	68.8	38.9	$16,858	$946	$15,912
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%)	37.7	120^th of 227 public high schools	47.1%		59.1	40^th of 220 public high schools	81.8%	80	5.8	63.1	63.1	5.8			$18,173	$982	$17,190
Career and Technology Academy	Public	9-12	330 Dorsey Road	Prince Frederick	20678	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9940	0	24	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Calvert County Alternative School	Public	6-12	330 Dorsey Road	Prince Frederick	20678	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-7164	7				2 (28.6%)	2 (28.6%)	2 (28.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Calvert High	Public	9-12	520 Fox Run Blvd	Prince Frederick	20678	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-8880	1,080	64	16.9	39.3%	631 (58.4%)	220 (20.4%)	125 (11.6%)	17 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (7.9%)	52.7	64^th of 227 public high schools	71.8%		41.1	102^nd of 220 public high schools	53.6%	38	14.3	81.1	81.1	10.4		15.7	$18,318	$1,015	$17,303
Gwynn Park High	Public, Magnet	9-12	13800 Brandywine Rd	Brandywine	20613	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 372-0140	1,147	67	17.1	47.7%	26 (2.3%)	865 (75.4%)	199 (17.3%)	20 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (0.7%)	28 (2.4%)	26.3	155^th of 227 public high schools	31.7%		19.9	168^th of 220 public high schools	23.6%	13	8.7	46.4	46.4	8.7			$18,660	$1,061	$17,599
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%)	30.3	142^nd of 227 public high schools	37.4%		26.7	145^th of 220 public high schools	34.1%	3	7.4	54.0	54.0	7.4			$17,819	$1,031	$16,788
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%)	43.3	95^th of 227 public high schools	58.1%		50.7	71^st of 220 public high schools	67.7%	24	5.2	64.5	64.5	5.2			$19,270	$1,384	$17,887
Thomas Stone High School	Public	9-12	3785 Leonardtown Rd	Waldorf	20601	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-2601	1,230	85	14.4	56.4%	76 (6.2%)	781 (63.5%)	270 (22.0%)	23 (1.9%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	74 (6.0%)	18.2	177^th of 227 public high schools	22.0%		18.8	176^th of 220 public high schools	20.0%	1	0.6	38.9	38.9	0.0	3.2		$21,315	$1,293	$20,022

Frequently Asked Questions about Northern High

What is the racial makeup of Northern High?

Students at Northern High are 69% White, 11% African American, 10% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Northern High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,478 students attended Northern High.

Is Northern High a good school?

Northern High ranks 35^th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Northern High in?

Calvert County Public Schools

What schools feed into Northern High?

Northern High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Beach Elementary
Elementary : Mount Harmony Elementary
Elementary : Sunderland Elementary
Elementary : Windy Hill Elementary
Middle : Northern Middle
Middle : Windy Hill Middle

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Schools in Owings, MD

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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.