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Rising Sun High

Q: Is Rising Sun High a good school?

Rising Sun High ranks 68 th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

68^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 70% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Rising Sun High is a mid-sized high school in North East, MD, serving 1,074 students in grades 9-12 within the Cecil County Public Schools district. The school holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 70th percentile statewide, making it a consistent performer in a district that faces significant challenges compared to others in Maryland.

Rising Sun stands out for its exceptional English Language Arts (ELA) performance, with 69.2% of students proficient—far above the district average of 46.9% and the state average of 51.7%. This is the highest ELA proficiency among all Cecil County high schools and rivals top regional schools like Harford Technical High (85%). However, the school has a critical weakness in mathematics, where only 6.8% of students are proficient, compared to the district average of 20.5% and the state average of 27.1%. This creates a massive 62.4 percentage point gap between its ELA and math scores, the largest disparity among nearby schools. Despite this, Rising Sun boasts a strong 92% graduation rate, well above the district average of 87.7%, and a low dropout rate of 6.1%, second-best in Cecil County behind Bohemia Manor High (4.7%).

Chronic absenteeism is a persistent issue, with 23.8% of students chronically absent—slightly better than Elkton High (29.1%) and North East High (30.7%), but still high compared to Harford Technical High's remarkably low 7.5%. Per-student spending at Rising Sun ($16,508) is similar to its Cecil County peers and even Harford Technical ($16,393), suggesting that funding is not the primary driver of performance gaps. The school's lower rate of economic disadvantage (34.45% free/reduced lunch) likely contributes to its ELA success, but the math struggle points to a systemic issue in instruction or curriculum that needs urgent attention. For parents, Rising Sun offers a strong foundation in reading and writing with a high graduation rate, but math proficiency is a significant concern that families should investigate further.

1,074

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,508

Per pupil spending ?

34.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

100 Tiger Dr
North East, MD 21901-1139

(410) 658-9115

District: Cecil County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Rising Sun High:

Elementary:	Calvert Elementary
	Kenmore Elementary
	Rising Sun Elementary
Middle:	Rising Sun Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.6%

Hispanic:

7.4%

Two or more races:

3.6%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Rising Sun High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 57th percentile in 2013 → 70th in 2026

Strengths

✓92% graduate within 4 years

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2013

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Cecil County Public Schools

Worth a look

!Mathematics scores 20 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg33%

Maryland avg38%

68^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 30%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 38% (2016) to top 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5High Schools in the Cecil County Public Schools

17^th of 25Cecil 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	50.8	68 of 227	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	53.0	61 of 220	72.3%	★★★★☆
2022	44.9	87 of 225	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.8	62 of 138	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.4	54 of 197	72.6%	★★★★☆
2017	56.2	62 of 180	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	57.7	88 of 233	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.7	68 of 233	70.8%	★★★★☆
2014	69.6	95 of 231	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.0	79 of 185	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.2	76 of 187	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.8	62 of 183	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	78.9	38 of 220	82.7%	★★★★☆
2009	79.1	31 of 213	85.4%	★★★★☆
2008	76.2	55 of 214	74.3%	★★★★☆
2007	74.3	34 of 209	83.7%	★★★★☆
2006	73.2	36 of 204	82.4%	★★★★☆
2005	60.4	65 of 204	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	62.1	12 of 201	94.0%	★★★★★

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts69%+17 vs state

Mathematics7%-20 vs state

Algebra I7%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Rising Sun 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	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
Rising Sun High	Public	9-12	100 Tiger Dr	North East	21901	Cecil County	Cecil County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 658-9115	1,074	65	16.4	34.5%	941 (87.6%)	5 (0.5%)	80 (7.4%)	7 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (3.6%)	50.8	68^th of 227 public high schools	70.0%		53	61^st of 220 public high schools	72.3%	7				6.8				69.2	69.2	6.8				$16,508	$1,445	$15,063
North East High	Public	9-12	300 Irishtown Rd	North East	21901	Cecil County	Cecil County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 996-6200	1,057	67	15.8	47.6%	775 (73.3%)	136 (12.9%)	83 (7.9%)	7 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (5.1%)	34.3	129^th of 227 public high schools	43.2%		37.1	117^th of 220 public high schools	46.8%	12				1.8				55.4	55.4	1.8				$16,369	$1,845	$14,524
Elkton High	Public	9-12	110 James St	Elkton	21921	Cecil County	Cecil County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 996-5000	1,050	70	15.1	55.2%	442 (42.1%)	289 (27.5%)	183 (17.4%)	13 (1.2%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	118 (11.2%)	36.3	124^th of 227 public high schools	45.4%		37.7	115^th of 220 public high schools	47.7%	9				1.1				57.0	57.0	1.1				$16,738	$1,968	$14,770
Perryville High	Public	9-12	1696 Perryville Rd	Perryville	21903	Cecil County	Cecil County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 996-6000	858	52	16.4	45.2%	645 (75.2%)	81 (9.4%)	54 (6.3%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	71 (8.3%)	49.3	70^th of 227 public high schools	69.2%		55.4	49^th of 220 public high schools	77.7%	21				1.6				68.4	68.4	1.6				$16,753	$1,590	$15,163
Cecil County School of Technology	Public	9-12	912 Appleton Rd	Elkton	21921	Cecil County	Cecil County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 392-8879	0	31	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Havre de Grace High	Public, Magnet	9-12	445 Lewis Lane	Havre de Grace	21078	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 939-6600	822	49	16.8	40.8%	451 (54.9%)	186 (22.6%)	81 (9.9%)	17 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	84 (10.2%)	34.4	128^th of 227 public high schools	43.6%		47.2	82^nd of 220 public high schools	62.7%	46				10.1				60.7	60.7	7.7	33.3	5.4		$15,747	$1,662	$14,085
Bohemia Manor High	Public	9-12	2755 Augustine Herman Hwy	Chesapeake City	21915	Cecil County	Cecil County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 885-2075	591	44	13.5	40.8%	468 (79.2%)	31 (5.2%)	60 (10.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (4.6%)	44.6	91^st of 227 public high schools	59.9%		43	96^th of 220 public high schools	56.4%	5				3.2				64.7	64.7	3.2				$20,396	$1,758	$18,638
Center for Educational Opportunity	Public, Virtual	6-12	253 Paradise Rd	Aberdeen	21001	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(410) 273-5594	122	19	6.5	66.4%	52 (42.6%)	39 (32.0%)	15 (12.3%)	2 (1.6%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (10.7%)	26.5	153^rd of 227 public high schools	32.6%		15.4	194^th of 220 public high schools	11.8%	41	0.0	8.7	0.0	2.0	24.0	56.7	20.0	51.3	37.4	1.9			9.8
Aberdeen High	Public, Magnet	9-12	251 Paradise Rd	Aberdeen	21001	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 273-5500	1,396	99	14.1	51.6%	404 (28.9%)	575 (41.2%)	210 (15.0%)	65 (4.7%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	135 (9.7%)	31.2	140^th of 227 public high schools	38.3%		36.9	118^th of 220 public high schools	46.4%	22				12.5				50.0	50.0	7.3	63.5	4.5		$16,192	$1,452	$14,741
Harford Technical High	Public, Magnet	9-12	200 Thomas Run Rd	Bel Air	21015	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 638-3804	954	58	16.4	20.9%	676 (70.9%)	136 (14.3%)	63 (6.6%)	25 (2.6%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (4.9%)	56.1	56^th of 227 public high schools	75.3%		56	47^th of 220 public high schools	78.6%	9				21.5				85.0	85.0	21.8	32.2	11.8		$16,393	$1,071	$15,322

Frequently Asked Questions about Rising Sun High

What district is Rising Sun High in?

Cecil County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Rising Sun High?

Students at Rising Sun High are 88% White, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Rising Sun High?

Rising Sun High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Calvert Elementary
Elementary : Kenmore Elementary
Elementary : Rising Sun Elementary
Middle : Rising Sun Middle School

How many students attend Rising Sun High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,074 students attended Rising Sun High.

Is Rising Sun High a good school?

Rising Sun High ranks 68^th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Rising Sun 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.