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Harpers Choice Middle

Q: Is Harpers Choice Middle a good school?

Harpers Choice Middle ranks 177 th of 339 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

177^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 339 Maryland Middle Schools

Better than 48% of Maryland middle schools

Summary

Harpers Choice Middle in Columbia, MD, is a public school serving 471 students in grades 6-8 within the highly-regarded Howard County Public Schools district, but it stands out for its unique combination of high resource investment and persistent academic challenges.

Despite spending more per student ($23,115) than any nearby school—over $6,000 more than Burleigh Manor Middle and Clarksville Middle—and having the lowest student-to-teacher ratio (11.5:1) in the area, overall academic performance remains below district averages. The most significant issue is a chronic absenteeism rate of 27.9%, the highest among comparable schools and far above the district average of 17.4%. This suggests that non-academic factors, particularly attendance, are a major barrier to success, even with smaller classes and substantial funding for support programs.

However, the school presents a striking paradox: its advanced math track is exceptional. Students taking Algebra I achieve a 75.4% proficiency rate, the highest among all nearby schools, including top performers like Lime Kiln Middle and Clarksville. This creates a "two schools" dynamic, where the general education program struggles (25.2% math proficiency) while the advanced track excels. On a positive note, recent data shows improvement, with math proficiency rising from 15.2% to 25.2% and ELA from 37.3% to 45.9% over the past few years, indicating that recent interventions may be starting to take effect.

471

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,115

Per pupil spending ?

46.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5450 Beaverkill Rd
Columbia, MD 21044-1945

(410) 313-6929

District: Howard County Public Schools

Students who attend Harpers Choice Middle usually attend:

High:

Wilde Lake High

Feeder schools for Harpers Choice Middle:

Elementary:

Longfellow Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

43.3%

Hispanic:

23.1%

White:

18.5%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare Harpers Choice Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 45th percentile in 2016 → 48th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Howard County Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg53%

Maryland avg37%

177^th of 339

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 48%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

19^th of 20Middle Schools in the Howard County Public Schools

4^th of 25Howard 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	43.4	177 of 339	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.9	182 of 337	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.6	173 of 328	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.7	185 of 322	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.3	184 of 333	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.3	128 of 303	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.5	214 of 316	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.2	174 of 328	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.0	165 of 317	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	43.4	172 of 314	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	51.7	133 of 315	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	64.6	135 of 339	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	58.0	137 of 316	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	55.8	157 of 314	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	58.1	143 of 309	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	74.4	90 of 324	72.2%	★★★★☆
2009	72.0	93 of 301	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.7	106 of 283	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	26.1	199 of 264	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	21.2	203 of 254	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	28.0	184 of 255	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	25.6	196 of 252	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	36.7	172 of 259	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	36.9	81 of 116	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	44.3	154 of 303	49.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	35.2	133 of 207	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	46.8	139 of 273	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	55.3	109 of 288	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	52.6	57 of 136	58.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	37.3	79 of 120	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	65.9	70 of 210	66.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2021)67th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2021)62nd percentile+4 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)58th percentile~ school

Female (2021)49th percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)49th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2021)36th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2021)34th percentile-24 vs school

African American (2021)34th percentile-24 vs school

Asian (2021)30th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I75%+54 vs state

Geometry73%+28 vs state

English Language Arts46%-6 vs state

Science27%-4 vs state

Mathematics25%~ state avg

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Excellent staff and supportive school environment. Love sending my child to this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Harper's Choice has a fabulous staff and administration, a strong after school program, a robotics team, drama club, and diverse band and strings program. I'm not sure how this website does its "rankings" but it has really missed the mark on this one. Great school! Close Quote

Schools Near Harpers Choice 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 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 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
Harpers Choice Middle	Public	6-8	5450 Beaverkill Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6929	471	41	11.5	46.9%	87 (18.5%)	204 (43.3%)	109 (23.1%)	38 (8.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (6.6%)	43.4	177^th of 339 public middle schools	47.8%		41.9	182^nd of 337 public middle schools	46.0%	5	20.1	8.0	3.8	25.2	45.1	48.4	44.2	45.9	75.4		72.7	27.0	$23,115	$920	$22,195
Wilde Lake Middle	Public	6-8	10481 Cross Fox Ln	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6957	643	49	13.2	39.0%	191 (29.7%)	277 (43.1%)	82 (12.8%)	35 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (8.7%)	64.4	115^th of 339 public middle schools	66.1%		62.8	115^th of 337 public middle schools	65.9%		35.6	19.9	5.1	33.8	57.7	57.2	59.4	58.1	75.3		59.3	30.0	$21,976	$912	$21,064
Burleigh Manor Middle	Public	6-8	4200 Centennial Lane	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2507	777	49	15.7	17.5%	228 (29.3%)	81 (10.4%)	63 (8.1%)	347 (44.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (6.8%)	95.6	12^th of 339 public middle schools	96.5%		96.6	6^th of 337 public middle schools	98.2%	6	48.3	45.2	39.8	60.4	75.2	80.9	83.5	79.9	80.5	100.0	90.5	61.5	$16,394	$650	$15,744
Oakland Mills Middle	Public	6-8	9540 Kilimanjaro Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6937	415	35	11.8	48.4%	87 (21.0%)	135 (32.5%)	133 (32.0%)	26 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (7.7%)	53.5	145^th of 339 public middle schools	57.2%		56.4	132^nd of 337 public middle schools	60.8%	13	23.7	8.6	21.6	26.0	40.5	54.0	51.2	48.6	53.3		61.9	29.5	$24,494	$1,060	$23,433
Clarksville Middle	Public	6-8	6535 S Trotter Rd	Clarksville	21029	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7057	679	41	16.6	6.6%	224 (33.0%)	93 (13.7%)	20 (2.9%)	301 (44.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (5.7%)	96.4	7^th of 339 public middle schools	97.9%		97.7	3^rd of 337 public middle schools	99.1%	4	68.2	36.3	32.8	72.8	80.2	82.7	82.6	81.8	95.0	100.0	95.8	68.3	$17,045	$619	$16,426
Lake Elkhorn Middle	Public	6-8	6680 Cradlerock Way	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7600	569	47	12.2	49.0%	89 (15.6%)	272 (47.8%)	129 (22.7%)	32 (5.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.7%)	44.9	173^rd of 339 public middle schools	49.0%		48.1	162^nd of 337 public middle schools	51.9%	11	23.5	8.0	5.0	19.3	47.8	48.9	49.4	48.7	48.4		54.2	20.1	$20,282	$1,058	$19,224
Dunloggin Middle	Public	6-8	9129 Northfield Rd	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2831	623	45	13.9	25.4%	185 (29.7%)	141 (22.6%)	56 (9.0%)	207 (33.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.5%)	86.4	43^rd of 339 public middle schools	87.3%		84.4	51^st of 337 public middle schools	84.9%	8	47.3	41.1	18.5	46.7	70.8	76.2	66.3	70.8	58.6		64.3	38.8	$17,730	$784	$16,947
Ellicott Mills Middle	Public	6-8	4445 Montgomery Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2839	698	49	14.3	14.6%	197 (28.2%)	111 (15.9%)	39 (5.6%)	300 (43.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.0%)	93.8	17^th of 339 public middle schools	95.0%		91.7	28^th of 337 public middle schools	91.7%	11	54.8	43.0	13.4	54.3	78.6	80.2	80.4	79.8	72.0	100.0	66.3	64.3	$17,633	$822	$16,811
Lime Kiln Middle	Public	6-8	11650 Scaggsville Rd	Fulton	20759	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5988	675	43	15.6	8.6%	255 (37.8%)	112 (16.6%)	43 (6.4%)	212 (31.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (7.6%)	95.2	14^th of 339 public middle schools	95.9%		94.7	13^th of 337 public middle schools	96.1%	1	59.9	43.0	14.3	58.5	83.0	87.2	80.9	83.7	72.5	100.0	85.3	59.7	$17,144	$859	$16,285
Hammond Middle	Public	6-8	8100 Aladdin Dr	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5830	604	41	14.8	16.4%	232 (38.4%)	174 (28.8%)	60 (9.9%)	76 (12.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (9.9%)	82.9	60^th of 339 public middle schools	82.3%		84.9	50^th of 337 public middle schools	85.2%	10	38.1	27.6	11.1	42.7	69.4	74.3	67.5	70.6	66.7		82.9	43.3	$17,343	$742	$16,601

Frequently Asked Questions about Harpers Choice Middle

How many students attend Harpers Choice Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 471 students attended Harpers Choice Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Harpers Choice Middle?

Students at Harpers Choice Middle are 43% African American, 23% Hispanic, 18% White, 8% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Harpers Choice Middle attend?

Students who attend Harpers Choice Middle usually go on to attend Wilde Lake High

Is Harpers Choice Middle a good school?

Harpers Choice Middle ranks 177^th of 339 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Harpers Choice Middle in?

Howard County Public Schools

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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.