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Manchester Valley High

Q: Is Manchester Valley High a good school?

Manchester Valley High ranks 38 th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

38^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 83% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Manchester Valley High in Manchester, MD, is a comprehensive high school serving 1,339 students in grades 9-12 as part of the highly-rated Carroll County Public Schools district. This school presents a unique profile: it excels in English Language Arts (ELA) with 75.9% of students proficient, significantly outpacing the district average of 67.5% and the state average of 51.7%, yet it struggles profoundly in math, where only 17.6% of students are proficient—well below the district average of 41.9%. This 58.3 percentage point gap between ELA and math is the largest among nearby comprehensive high schools, creating a "tale of two subjects" that defines the school's academic landscape.

While Manchester Valley's ELA performance is among the best in the region, its math scores have been persistently low for years, with proficiency rates in single digits or low teens from 2022 to 2025 before the recent improvement to 17.6%. Specific math subjects show even starker challenges: Geometry proficiency was just 3% in 2024-2025, and Algebra II was 6.5% in 2023-2024. This math deficiency is a systemic issue that contrasts sharply with the school's strong graduation rate of 94.6% and its volatile state ranking, which dropped dramatically to a 1-star rating in 2023-2024 before rebounding to a 4-star rating and 38th place out of 227 schools in 2025-2026. Nearby Hereford High in Baltimore County, just 12 miles away, offers an interesting comparison: it has lower chronic absenteeism (12.1% vs. 23.2%) and a lower free/reduced lunch rate, yet Manchester Valley matches or exceeds it in ELA proficiency and graduation rate, despite serving a more economically diverse student body.

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern at Manchester Valley, with 23.2% of students chronically absent in 2024-2025—nearly double the rate at Hereford High and higher than the district average of 19.5%. This likely contributes to the school's academic volatility and math struggles, as consistent attendance is critical for building sequential skills. The school also has a higher student-teacher ratio of 18.9 compared to peers like Westminster High (16.5) and Francis Scott Key High (16.1), with spending per student at $15,000—lower than other Carroll County schools. Addressing the math gap and absenteeism could propel Manchester Valley back into the top tier of Maryland high schools, building on its strong foundation in literacy and graduation success.

1,339

Students ?

18.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,000

Per pupil spending ?

28.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3300 Maple Grove Road
Manchester, MD 21102-1960

(410) 386-1673

District: Carroll County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Manchester Valley High:

Elementary:	Hampstead Elementary
	Manchester Elementary
	Spring Garden Elementary
Middle:	North Carroll Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.0%

Hispanic:

8.1%

African American:

3.7%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Manchester Valley High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 23rd percentile in 2024 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (44% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of Maryland high schools

✓95% graduate within 4 years

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg54%

Maryland avg38%

38^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 17%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From top 14% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 8High Schools in the Carroll County Public Schools

2^nd of 24Carroll 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	62.3	38 of 227	83.3%	★★★★☆
2025	51.8	68 of 220	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.1	113 of 146	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.8	80 of 127	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	66.4	30 of 225	86.7%	★★★★☆
2019	75.5	22 of 138	84.1%	★★★★☆
2018	74.5	22 of 197	88.8%	★★★★☆
2017	71.2	28 of 180	84.4%	★★★★☆
2016	72.4	32 of 233	86.3%	★★★★☆
2015	80.1	13 of 233	94.4%	★★★★★
2014	80.2	32 of 231	86.1%	★★★★☆
2013	78.9	32 of 185	82.7%	★★★★☆
2012	70.4	65 of 187	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.3	58 of 183	68.3%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts76%+24 vs state

Mathematics18%-9 vs state

Algebra I18%-4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Manchester Valley 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)	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 Algebra II End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Manchester Valley High	Public	9-12	3300 Maple Grove Road	Manchester	21102	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 386-1673	1,339	71	18.9	28.4%	1,111 (83.0%)	49 (3.7%)	108 (8.1%)	20 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.4%)	45 (3.4%)	62.3	38^th of 227 public high schools	83.3%		51.8	68^th of 220 public high schools	69.1%	30				17.6				75.9	75.9	17.6				$15,000	$1,374	$13,627
Winters Mill High	Public	9-12	560 Gorsuch Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 386-1500	1,156	64	18.1	37.1%	765 (66.2%)	92 (8.0%)	209 (18.1%)	35 (3.0%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	46 (4.0%)	47.1	84^th of 227 public high schools	63.0%		50.1	72^nd of 220 public high schools	67.3%	12				7.7				65.9	65.9	7.7				$17,160	$1,385	$15,775
Post Secondary Program	Public	12	495 South Center Street	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3620	36	4	9.0	25.0%	26 (72.2%)	3 (8.3%)	1 (2.8%)	4 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.6%)								(n/a)														$32,306	$2,986	$29,320
Westminster High	Public	9-12	1225 Washington Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3630	1,477	90	16.5	25.0%	1,104 (74.7%)	91 (6.2%)	157 (10.6%)	59 (4.0%)	2 (0.1%)	7 (0.5%)	53 (3.6%)	57.5	54^th of 227 public high schools	76.2%		52.1	67^th of 220 public high schools	69.5%	13				22.1				78.3	78.3	12.6		36.4		$17,466	$1,643	$15,824
Carroll County Career & Technology Center	Public	11-12	1229 Washington Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3669	0	40	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Flexible Student Support	Public	9-12	45 Kate Wagner Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3691	44			36.4%	30 (68.2%)	4 (9.1%)	7 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.8%)								(n/a)														$13,020	$827	$12,193
Gateway School	Public	9-12	45 Kate Wagner Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3691	80	18	4.5	67.5%	54 (67.5%)	5 (6.3%)	9 (11.3%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (8.8%)	13.7	203^rd of 227 public high schools	10.6%		22.1	160^th of 220 public high schools	27.3%	43			0.0	2.3			0.0	28.1	20.4	4.4			7.1	$52,874	$1,647	$51,227
Hereford High	Public	9-12	17301 York Rd	Parkton	21120	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 809-1905	1,175	66	17.8	12.3%	1,004 (85.4%)	29 (2.5%)	60 (5.1%)	45 (3.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (3.1%)	58.4	49^th of 227 public high schools	78.4%		61.6	35^th of 220 public high schools	84.1%	14				16.5				79.3	79.3	4.7	28.6	10.6		$17,434	$1,114	$16,320
Francis Scott Key High	Public	9-12	3825 Bark Hill Road	Union Bridge	21791	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3320	906	56	16.1	41.3%	719 (79.4%)	54 (6.0%)	62 (6.8%)	13 (1.4%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (6.0%)	52.9	64^th of 227 public high schools	71.8%		45.9	84^th of 220 public high schools	61.8%	20				15.5				67.0	67.0	15.5				$17,520	$1,439	$16,081
Franklin High	Public	9-12	12000 Reisterstown Rd	Reisterstown	21136	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 809-7038	1,481	89	16.7	49.0%	280 (18.9%)	617 (41.7%)	407 (27.5%)	97 (6.5%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	73 (4.9%)	32.8	132^nd of 227 public high schools	41.9%		29.4	137^th of 220 public high schools	37.7%	5				9.6				53.0	53.0	7.6	24.4	9.1		$16,333	$1,105	$15,227

Frequently Asked Questions about Manchester Valley High

Is Manchester Valley High a good school?

Manchester Valley High ranks 38^th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Manchester Valley High?

Students at Manchester Valley High are 83% White, 8% Hispanic, 4% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Manchester Valley High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,339 students attended Manchester Valley High.

What district is Manchester Valley High in?

Carroll County Public Schools

What schools feed into Manchester Valley High?

Manchester Valley High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Hampstead Elementary
Elementary : Manchester Elementary
Elementary : Spring Garden Elementary
Middle : North Carroll 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.