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Long Reach High

Q: Is Long Reach High a good school?

Long Reach High ranks 109 th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

109^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 52% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Long Reach High is a comprehensive public high school in Columbia, MD, serving 1,334 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Howard County Public Schools district, a highly-regarded system ranking in the top 16% of Maryland districts.

Academically, Long Reach presents a striking contrast. Its English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency is a relative strength at 62.8%, close to the district average of 65.9% and outperforming nearby schools like Wilde Lake High (54%) and Guilford Park High (53.8%). However, math proficiency is critically low at just 14.2%, dramatically below the district average of 42.1% and the state average of 27.1%. This creates a significant internal achievement gap, with Algebra I proficiency at a mere 3.6% compared to the district's 41.2%. The school's state ranking has been volatile but recently improved to the 52nd percentile for 2025-2026, driven by strong ELA scores. Despite this positive trend, challenges persist with a chronic absenteeism rate of 28.3%—the second-highest among standard high schools in the district, behind only Wilde Lake (37.5%)—and a graduation rate of 84.0%, notably lower than the district average of 91.3%.

Long Reach's spending of $20,610 per student is higher than at top-performing schools like Centennial High ($17,982) and Howard High ($19,053), but comparable to schools with similar challenges, such as Oakland Mills High ($20,779) and Wilde Lake ($21,629). This suggests the issue is not a lack of funding but how effectively resources address the math deficit. Geographically, Long Reach is near two schools with vastly different profiles: Howard High (1.43 miles away) is a top performer with high math proficiency (31.8%) and a high graduation rate, while Oakland Mills (1.5 miles away) shares many of Long Reach's struggles, including low math scores (7.8%) and high absenteeism (31.3%). This clustering highlights educational inequities within the same district, tied to the socioeconomic characteristics of specific attendance zones.

1,334

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,610

Per pupil spending ?

37.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6101 Old Dobbin Ln
Columbia, MD 21045

(410) 313-7117

District: Howard County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Long Reach High:

Elementary:	Deep Run Elementary
	Rockburn Elementary
	Waterloo Elementary
Middle:	Elkridge Landing Middle
	Mayfield Woods Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

29.9%

African American:

27.5%

White:

23.4%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Long Reach High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 49th percentile in 2015 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Maryland median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (26% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Algebra I scores 18 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg51%

Maryland avg38%

109^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From top 39% (2016) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th 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	40.6	109 of 227	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	36.2	120 of 220	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.0	100 of 146	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.7	75 of 127	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.1	139 of 225	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.7	91 of 138	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.9	125 of 197	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.3	114 of 180	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	57.6	90 of 233	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.1	119 of 233	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	69.7	94 of 231	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.0	80 of 185	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.9	90 of 187	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.7	72 of 183	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	76.6	51 of 220	76.8%	★★★★☆
2009	73.4	65 of 213	69.5%	★★★★☆
2008	76.4	53 of 214	75.2%	★★★★☆
2007	63.5	76 of 209	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.5	69 of 204	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	65.1	45 of 204	77.9%	★★★★☆
2004	52.0	64 of 201	68.2%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts63%+11 vs state

Algebra II22%-5 vs state

Mathematics14%-13 vs state

Algebra I4%-18 vs state

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
Thursday, July 21, 2011

Howard County has done an excellent job in preparing our kids for college and the future. Long Reach is no exception. The pride is evident among the students and parents alike. Those who put in 100% effort get 110% back in return. Go Lightning. Continue to make excellence the standard! Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, November 27, 2010

Great School with competent and caring teachers. Close Quote

Schools Near Long Reach 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	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
Long Reach High	Public	9-12	6101 Old Dobbin Ln	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7117	1,334	97	13.7	37.6%	312 (23.4%)	367 (27.5%)	399 (29.9%)	154 (11.5%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	94 (7.0%)	40.6	109^th of 227 public high schools	52.0%		36.2	120^th of 220 public high schools	45.5%	11	14.2	62.8	62.8	3.6	22.1	$20,610	$892	$19,718
Howard High	Public	9-12	8700 Old Annapolis Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2867	1,493	96	15.5	20.2%	518 (34.7%)	348 (23.3%)	94 (6.3%)	418 (28.0%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	108 (7.2%)	66.7	28^th of 227 public high schools	87.7%		62.9	33^rd of 220 public high schools	85.0%	5	31.8	82.4	82.4	8.6	40.1	$19,053	$880	$18,174
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
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
Guilford Park High	Public	9-12	8500 Ridgelys Run Rd	Jessup	20794	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(410) 313-7430	1,218	78	15.6	45.2%	222 (18.2%)	465 (38.2%)	300 (24.6%)	158 (13.0%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.4%)	63 (5.2%)	32	135^th of 227 public high schools	40.5%					(n/a)	10.8	53.8	53.8	8.1	12.8	$21,328	$961	$20,367
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
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
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
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)

Frequently Asked Questions about Long Reach High

What is the racial makeup of Long Reach High?

Students at Long Reach High are 30% Hispanic, 28% African American, 23% White, 12% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Long Reach High?

Long Reach High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Deep Run Elementary
Elementary : Rockburn Elementary
Elementary : Waterloo Elementary
Middle : Elkridge Landing Middle
Middle : Mayfield Woods Middle

How many students attend Long Reach High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,334 students attended Long Reach High.

Is Long Reach High a good school?

Long Reach High ranks 109^th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Long Reach High in?

Howard County Public Schools

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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.