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Waterloo Elementary

Q: Is Waterloo Elementary a good school?

Waterloo Elementary ranks 107 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

107^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 88% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Waterloo Elementary in Columbia, MD, is a mid-to-high performing school serving 666 students from Pre-K through 5th grade as part of the highly-rated Howard County Public Schools district, and it stands out for its exceptional math performance and efficient use of resources.

Waterloo Elementary’s most impressive strength is its math proficiency, with 59.9% of students scoring proficient—a rate that is 42% higher than the district average and more than double the state average. This is particularly notable when compared to nearby schools like Bellows Spring Elementary, which has a lower percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch but still trails Waterloo in math (54.2% vs. 59.9%). The school also achieves strong English Language Arts (ELA) results, with 70.7% of students proficient, outperforming both the district and state averages. However, there is a slight dip in ELA scores from 3rd to 4th grade, which may be a focus area for improvement. Additionally, Waterloo operates with remarkable financial efficiency, spending $20,202 per student—the lowest among comparable nearby schools like Stevens Forest Elementary ($26,356) and Jeffers Hill Elementary ($23,156)—while still delivering strong academic outcomes.

Despite these successes, Waterloo faces challenges. Chronic absenteeism has remained elevated at 16.1%, nearly double its pandemic-era low and close to the district average, which can hinder learning. The school also shows a significant achievement gap, with Hispanic students performing exceptionally well (88th percentile statewide) while low-income students rank in the bottom 15th percentile. This suggests a need for targeted support. Overall, Waterloo is on a consistent upward trajectory, improving its state ranking from the 80th to the 88th percentile over recent years, making it a school that is effectively building on its strengths while addressing areas for growth.

666

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,202

Per pupil spending ?

32.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5940 Waterloo Rd
Columbia, MD 21045

(410) 313-5014

District: Howard County Public Schools

Students who attend Waterloo Elementary usually attend:

High:

Long Reach High

Racial breakdown:

White:

32.3%

African American:

30.2%

Asian:

14.4%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Waterloo Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 80th percentile in 2016 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (63% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Maryland elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg53%

Maryland avg39%

107^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 20% (2016) to top 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 42Elementary 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	88.3	107 of 864	87.6%	★★★★☆
2025	86.6	115 of 865	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	85.4	115 of 859	86.6%	★★★★☆
2023	83.0	139 of 855	83.7%	★★★★☆
2022	82.5	150 of 862	82.6%	★★★★☆
2021	53.3	268 of 802	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.9	167 of 853	80.4%	★★★★☆
2018	80.9	163 of 857	81.0%	★★★★☆
2017	84.0	145 of 847	82.9%	★★★★☆
2016	80.4	172 of 845	79.6%	★★★★☆
2015	78.0	179 of 859	79.2%	★★★★☆
2014	73.4	244 of 867	71.9%	★★★★☆
2013	76.5	173 of 847	79.6%	★★★★☆
2012	71.9	232 of 857	72.9%	★★★★☆
2011	67.3	290 of 853	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	65.6	333 of 855	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	65.6	321 of 850	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.7	313 of 838	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	20.1	690 of 818	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	24.9	641 of 804	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	15.6	709 of 805	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	12.8	715 of 803	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	42.6	246 of 504	51.2%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	24.2	106 of 128	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	45.9	312 of 796	60.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	75.2	42 of 347	87.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	26.4	463 of 546	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	55.6	244 of 788	69.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	52.3	220 of 528	58.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2021)88th percentile+21 vs school

Male (2021)69th percentile~ school

Female (2021)61st percentile-6 vs school

White (2021)58th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2021)51st percentile-15 vs school

Asian (2021)17th percentile-49 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)15th percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts71%+19 vs state

Mathematics60%+33 vs state

Science51%+19 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, June 3, 2021

Our first year started virtual. The staff is phenomenal and goes above and beyond to support students and families. We hope that we remain here for the next 7 years and are not impacted by redistricting again. Close Quote

by a citizen
Thursday, January 3, 2013

Great teachers. Very supportive to the needs of the students. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, January 21, 2011

Great teachers and staff. Close Quote

Schools Near Waterloo Elementary

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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 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 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th 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 All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Waterloo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5940 Waterloo Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5014	666	52	12.8	32.1%	215 (32.3%)	201 (30.2%)	94 (14.1%)	96 (14.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	56 (8.4%)	88.3	107^th of 864 public elementary schools	87.6%		86.6	115^th of 865 public elementary schools	86.7%	8	66.7	53.4	58.8	59.9	74.5	68.6	68.7	70.7	51.0	$20,202	$1,076	$19,126
Bellows Spring Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8125 Old Stockbridge Dr	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5057	806	64	12.5	26.3%	146 (18.1%)	256 (31.8%)	79 (9.8%)	274 (34.0%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (5.6%)	75.9	218^th of 864 public elementary schools	74.8%		80.3	177^th of 865 public elementary schools	79.5%	41	57.3	57.9	46.7	54.2	57.7	68.6	49.5	59.1	38.7	$19,642	$925	$18,717
Phelps Luck Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5370 Oldstone Ct	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6886	681	58	11.6	46.5%	189 (27.8%)	164 (24.1%)	224 (32.9%)	54 (7.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.2%)	64.1	288^th of 864 public elementary schools	66.7%		56.7	358^th of 865 public elementary schools	58.6%	70	44.5	40.0	38.9	41.4	54.7	50.9	53.7	53.1	42.7	$21,395	$1,428	$19,967
Jeffers Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6001 Tamar Dr	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6872	406	35	11.5	44.1%	86 (21.2%)	162 (39.9%)	83 (20.4%)	34 (8.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.6%)	55.3	364^th of 864 public elementary schools	57.9%		59.2	342^nd of 865 public elementary schools	60.5%	22	45.0	26.4	32.3	34.0	63.3	50.0	44.6	52.3	32.3	$23,156	$997	$22,159
Rockburn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6145 Montgomery Rd	Elkridge	21075	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5030	649	53	12.2	12.3%	270 (41.6%)	81 (12.5%)	34 (5.2%)	196 (30.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	64 (9.9%)	93.4	52^nd of 864 public elementary schools	94.0%		95.6	32^nd of 865 public elementary schools	96.3%	20	70.1	62.7	67.3	66.6	77.6	76.4	72.1	75.3	62.5	$18,033	$796	$17,237
Deep Run Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6925 Old Waterloo Rd	Elkridge	21075	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-5000	638	60	10.6	54.1%	103 (16.1%)	124 (19.4%)	320 (50.2%)	60 (9.4%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.1%)	47.9	427^th of 864 public elementary schools	50.6%		47.9	420^th of 865 public elementary schools	51.4%	7	33.7	33.7	26.1	31.3	47.4	43.8	44.8	45.4	35.2	$23,238	$1,842	$21,396
Ilchester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4981 Ilchester Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2524	482	38	12.6	13.7%	212 (44.0%)	58 (12.0%)	29 (6.0%)	132 (27.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (10.4%)	88.4	101^st of 864 public elementary schools	88.3%		89.9	92^nd of 865 public elementary schools	89.4%	9	58.7	65.3	60.4	61.3	71.2	61.1	73.3	68.9	57.1	$21,779	$1,327	$20,452
Thunder Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	9357 Mellenbrook Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6922	459	39	11.6	37.7%	106 (23.1%)	144 (31.4%)	97 (21.1%)	73 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.1%)	62.6	297^th of 864 public elementary schools	65.6%		65	292^nd of 865 public elementary schools	66.2%	5	48.7	36.0	40.7	41.6	55.1	52.3	45.7	51.0	40.0	$21,048	$1,067	$19,982
Talbott Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9550 Basket Ring Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6915	461	46	10.0	45.3%	105 (22.8%)	147 (31.9%)	135 (29.3%)	23 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (10.6%)	62.4	299^th of 864 public elementary schools	65.4%		51.3	395^th of 865 public elementary schools	54.3%	96	58.1	28.8	37.1	41.5	54.8	45.8	56.5	52.5	37.1	$24,018	$1,692	$22,326
Stevens Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6045 Stevens Forest Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6900	314	33	9.5	59.2%	58 (18.5%)	124 (39.5%)	79 (25.2%)	22 (7.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.6%)	67.7	270^th of 864 public elementary schools	68.8%		64.4	297^th of 865 public elementary schools	65.7%	27	46.3	39.2	38.2	40.8	56.1	53.1	56.4	55.2	46.3	$26,356	$1,845	$24,511

Frequently Asked Questions about Waterloo Elementary

What schools do graduates of Waterloo Elementary attend?

Students who attend Waterloo Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Long Reach High

What is the racial makeup of Waterloo Elementary?

Students at Waterloo Elementary are 32% White, 30% African American, 14% Asian, 14% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

How many students attend Waterloo Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 666 students attended Waterloo Elementary.

What district is Waterloo Elementary in?

Howard County Public Schools

Is Waterloo Elementary a good school?

Waterloo Elementary ranks 107^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Waterloo Elementary!

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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.