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River Hill High

Public Grades 9-12

11^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 95% of Maryland high schools

Summary

River Hill High in Clarksville, MD, is a top-performing high school within the Howard County Public Schools district, serving 1,383 students in grades 9-12 in a relatively affluent area. This school consistently ranks among the best in Maryland, currently placing 11th out of 227 high schools statewide, and has a long history of top-10 rankings, including a #1 spot in 2015-2016. Its standout feature is exceptional English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, with 93.3% of students meeting standards—nearly 30 percentage points higher than the district average and over 40 points higher than the state average, making it the highest among nearby schools like Glenelg High (90%) and Centennial High.

River Hill also boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (13.6%) among its peer group, well below the district average of 17.4% and significantly lower than schools like Wilde Lake High (37.5%) and Oakland Mills High (31.3%), indicating a highly engaged student body. In math, the school shows a unique pattern: while overall math proficiency (49.4%) leads the district, Algebra I proficiency is low (17.8%) but Algebra II proficiency is very high (58.4%). This suggests most students take Algebra I in middle school and excel in advanced courses like Algebra II in high school, a contrast to schools like Howard High, where both scores are lower.

Interestingly, River Hill achieves these outstanding results with the lowest per-student spending ($17,496) among nearby comprehensive high schools, compared to $19,053 at Howard High and $20,779 at Oakland Mills High, pointing to efficient resource use. While the school excels overall, its subgroup performance shows that Asian students rank exceptionally well (84th percentile statewide), while White and Female students, though still performing well, rank lower relative to the state. This nuance highlights that River Hill’s elite status is driven by strong performance across diverse groups, making it a standout choice for families seeking a high-achieving, well-rounded academic environment.

1,383

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,496

Per pupil spending ?

7.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12101 Clarksville Pike
Clarksville, MD 21029

(410) 313-7120

District: Howard County Public Schools

Feeder schools for River Hill High:

Elementary:	Clarksville Elementary
	Dayton Oaks Elementary
Middle:	Lime Kiln Middle

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

42.4%

White:

33.0%

African American:

13.2%

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Compare River Hill High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 97th percentile in 2015 → 95th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (63% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 5% of Maryland high schools

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg51%

Maryland avg38%

11^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 5%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 1% (2016) to top 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 14High 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	81.7	11 of 227	95.2%	★★★★★
2025	78.4	12 of 220	94.5%	★★★★★
2024	81.2	6 of 146	95.9%	★★★★★
2023	83.4	2 of 127	98.4%	★★★★★
2022	84.5	8 of 225	96.4%	★★★★★
2019	85.8	4 of 138	97.1%	★★★★★
2018	85.6	8 of 197	95.9%	★★★★★
2017	95.1	2 of 180	98.9%	★★★★★
2016	90.1	1 of 233	99.6%	★★★★★
2015	81.6	8 of 233	96.6%	★★★★★
2014	83.6	3 of 231	98.7%	★★★★★
2013	86.9	3 of 185	98.4%	★★★★★
2012	86.6	2 of 187	98.9%	★★★★★
2011	88.8	3 of 183	98.4%	★★★★★
2010	87.4	3 of 220	98.6%	★★★★★
2009	85.2	3 of 213	98.6%	★★★★★
2008	85.7	3 of 214	98.6%	★★★★★
2007	87.0	2 of 209	99.0%	★★★★★
2006	87.6	3 of 204	98.5%	★★★★★
2005	88.0	2 of 204	99.0%	★★★★★
2004	63.1	7 of 201	96.5%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	85.2	4 of 25	84.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	75.1	11 of 31	64.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	69.0	19 of 40	52.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Asian (2021)84th percentile

Female (2021)65th percentile

White (2021)52nd percentile

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts93%+42 vs state

Algebra II58%+31 vs state

Mathematics49%+22 vs state

Algebra I18%-4 vs state

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What people are saying

by a student
Friday, January 4, 2013

I graduated in 2010 and I'm turning out just grand! Close Quote

Schools Near River Hill 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)	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 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
River Hill High	Public	9-12	12101 Clarksville Pike	Clarksville	21029	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7120	1,383	78	17.7	7.7%	457 (33.0%)	182 (13.2%)	76 (5.5%)	586 (42.4%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	72 (5.2%)	81.7	11^th of 227 public high schools	95.2%		78.4	12^th of 220 public high schools	94.5%	1	49.4	93.3	93.3	17.8	58.4	$17,496	$854	$16,643
Applications and Research Laboratory	Public	9-12	10920 Clarksville Pike	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6698	0	33	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Homewood School	Public	6-12	10914 Clarksville Pike	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7081	109	43	2.5	45.9%	36 (33.0%)	40 (36.7%)	18 (16.5%)	5 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (8.3%)	11.2	214^th of 227 public high schools	5.7%		10.8	213^th of 220 public high schools	3.2%	1	1.4	13.8	20.0	3.3	0.0	$81,791	$2,291	$79,501
Wilde Lake High	Public	9-12	5460 Trumpeter Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6965	1,197	86	13.9	42.6%	264 (22.1%)	534 (44.6%)	208 (17.4%)	78 (6.5%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.4%)	101 (8.4%)	30.2	143^rd of 227 public high schools	37.0%		32.1	131^st of 220 public high schools	40.5%	12	7.9	54.0	54.0	2.7	12.4	$21,629	$1,004	$20,625
Atholton High	Public	9-12	6520 Freetown Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7065	1,540	92	16.7	22.9%	412 (26.8%)	497 (32.3%)	217 (14.1%)	288 (18.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	118 (7.7%)	51.9	66^th of 227 public high schools	70.9%		53.6	58^th of 220 public high schools	73.6%	8	18.7	75.5	75.5	9.0	22.7	$18,240	$836	$17,404
Centennial High	Public	9-12	4300 Centennial Ln	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2856	1,377	81	17.0	18.5%	455 (33.0%)	185 (13.4%)	107 (7.8%)	547 (39.7%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	74 (5.4%)	68.5	25^th of 227 public high schools	89.0%		70.6	23^rd of 220 public high schools	89.5%	2	34.0	84.2	84.2	10.2	43.2	$17,982	$875	$17,107
Reservoir High	Public	9-12	11550 Scaggsville Rd	Fulton	20759	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 888-8850	1,597	108	14.8	26.2%	362 (22.7%)	522 (32.7%)	306 (19.2%)	295 (18.5%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	103 (6.4%)	52.2	65^th of 227 public high schools	71.4%		47.7	79^th of 220 public high schools	64.1%	14	21.5	73.2	73.2	6.4	28.3	$17,951	$816	$17,135
Oakland Mills High	Public	9-12	9410 Kilimanjaro Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6945	1,413	103	13.7	43.2%	227 (16.1%)	628 (44.4%)	314 (22.2%)	119 (8.4%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	112 (7.9%)	35	126^th of 227 public high schools	44.5%		35.2	121^st of 220 public high schools	45.0%	5	7.8	61.9	61.9	6.2	9.2	$20,779	$1,052	$19,727
Hammond High	Public	9-12	8800 Guilford Rd	Columbia	21046	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7615	1,159	81	14.3	37.4%	239 (20.6%)	514 (44.3%)	192 (16.6%)	128 (11.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (7.2%)	47.5	81^st of 227 public high schools	64.3%		51.3	70^th of 220 public high schools	68.2%	11	12.8	77.1	77.1	9.0	15.6	$20,375	$1,025	$19,351
Glenelg High	Public	9-12	14025 Burnt Woods Rd	Glenelg	21737	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5528	1,363	79	17.2	10.2%	805 (59.1%)	81 (5.9%)	104 (7.6%)	273 (20.0%)	4 (0.3%)	4 (0.3%)	87 (6.4%)	63.5	33^rd of 227 public high schools	85.5%		72.7	18^th of 220 public high schools	91.8%	15	26.9	90.0	90.0	13.7	32.3	$18,024	$840	$17,184

Frequently Asked Questions about River Hill High

What schools feed into River Hill High?

River Hill High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Clarksville Elementary
Elementary : Dayton Oaks Elementary
Middle : Lime Kiln Middle

Is River Hill High a good school?

Yes! River Hill High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 11^th of 227 Maryland high schools.

What district is River Hill High in?

Howard County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of River Hill High?

Students at River Hill High are 42% Asian, 33% White, 13% African American, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend River Hill High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,383 students attended River Hill High.

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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.