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Walt Whitman High

Public Grades 9-12

13^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 94% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Walt Whitman High in Bethesda, MD, is a premier high school within the Montgomery County Public Schools district, serving 2,056 students in grades 9-12 in an affluent suburban community.

Walt Whitman is an academic powerhouse, ranking 13th out of 227 high schools in Maryland. Its standout strength is English Language Arts, where 83.7% of students are proficient—far exceeding the district average of 58.5% and the state average of 51.7%. This is the highest ELA proficiency rate among nearby top schools, even surpassing Winston Churchill High (91.5% for all grades) and Walter Johnson High. The school also boasts a high graduation rate of 94.9% and low chronic absenteeism at 18.5%, both better than district averages. However, there is a notable paradox: math proficiency is surprisingly low at just 23.8%, below the district average of 36.9% and even the state average of 27.1%. This suggests the school's top ranking is driven almost entirely by its ELA performance, making math a clear area for improvement.

Compared to nearby schools, Walt Whitman stands out for its exceptionally low socioeconomic disadvantage, with only 7% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch—the lowest among its peers. For context, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High has 23.94%, while Wheaton High has 56.62%. Despite this, Walt Whitman achieves top-tier outcomes for all student subgroups, ranking 1st in the state for African American and Hispanic students in 2020-2021. Its per-student spending of $17,926 is mid-range for the area, suggesting its success comes from community factors like strong parental involvement rather than exceptionally high funding. This creates a clear contrast with schools like Albert Einstein High and Northwood High, which serve more economically diverse populations and have lower academic metrics.

2,056

Students ?

17.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,926

Per pupil spending ?

Free/discounted lunch ?

7100 Whittier Blvd
Bethesda, MD 20817-6199

(240) 740-4800

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Walt Whitman High:

Elementary:	Bannockburn Elementary
	Bradley Hills Elementary
	Burning Tree Elementary
	Carderock Springs Elementary
	More...
	Wood Acres Elementary
Middle:	Thomas W. Pyle Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.6%

Asian:

16.1%

Hispanic:

12.5%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Walt Whitman High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 89th percentile in 2014 → 94th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (65% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% of Maryland high schools

✓95% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg47%

Maryland avg38%

13^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 29 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to top 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 26High Schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools

8^th of 24Montgomery 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	79.8	13 of 227	94.3%	★★★★★
2025	82.4	8 of 220	96.4%	★★★★★
2024	81.0	7 of 146	95.2%	★★★★★
2023	82.5	3 of 127	97.6%	★★★★★
2022	90.1	2 of 225	99.1%	★★★★★
2021	92.9	2 of 32	93.8%	★★★★★
2019	89.1	2 of 138	98.6%	★★★★★
2016	60.7	80 of 233	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	70.4	38 of 233	83.7%	★★★★☆
2014	80.5	26 of 231	88.7%	★★★★☆
2013	82.4	24 of 185	87.0%	★★★★☆
2012	81.7	19 of 187	89.8%	★★★★★
2011	85.2	15 of 183	91.8%	★★★★★
2010	84.3	14 of 220	93.6%	★★★★★
2009	84.0	8 of 213	96.2%	★★★★★
2008	83.3	13 of 214	93.9%	★★★★★
2007	84.7	4 of 209	98.1%	★★★★★
2006	83.6	7 of 204	96.6%	★★★★★
2005	87.0	3 of 204	98.5%	★★★★★
2004	63.6	5 of 201	97.5%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	96.6	1 of 14	92.9%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	91.8	2 of 25	92.0%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	96.7	1 of 3	66.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	92.8	2 of 31	93.5%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	98.6	1 of 9	88.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	94.1	2 of 35	94.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	87.6	5 of 40	87.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Male (2021)94th percentile~ school

Female (2021)94th percentile~ school

African American (2021)93rd percentile~ school

Asian (2021)92nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2021)89th percentile-5 vs school

White (2021)88th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)67th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts84%+32 vs state

Mathematics24%-3 vs state

Algebra I24%~ state avg

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Superb education for my two sons. Well known by colleges. Good peer groups Close Quote

Schools Near Walt Whitman 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 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 (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 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	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 Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Walt Whitman High	Public	9-12	7100 Whittier Blvd	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-4800	2,056	115	17.8	7.0%	1,164 (56.6%)	122 (5.9%)	257 (12.5%)	330 (16.1%)	1 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	175 (8.5%)	79.8	13^th of 227 public high schools	94.3%		82.4	8^th of 220 public high schools	96.4%	5			23.8			83.7	83.7	23.8		$17,926	$943	$16,983
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High	Public	9-12	4301 East-West Hwy	Bethesda	20814	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-0400	2,377	142	16.7	23.9%	1,109 (46.7%)	436 (18.3%)	507 (21.3%)	164 (6.9%)	8 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	141 (5.9%)	68.8	24^th of 227 public high schools	89.4%		71.1	22^nd of 220 public high schools	90.0%	2			11.7			76.4	76.4	11.7		$16,584	$848	$15,736
Walter Johnson High	Public	9-12	6400 Rock Spring Dr	Bethesda	20814	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-6900	3,016	167	18.0	19.8%	1,342 (44.5%)	477 (15.8%)	577 (19.1%)	389 (12.9%)	9 (0.3%)	3 (0.1%)	204 (6.8%)	73.7	17^th of 227 public high schools	92.5%		76.3	15^th of 220 public high schools	93.2%	2			7.7			85.1	85.1	7.7		$16,379	$937	$15,442
Northwood High	Public, Magnet	9-12	11211 Old Georgetown Rd	Rockville	20852	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-6950	1,654	117	14.1	58.4%	173 (10.5%)	383 (23.2%)	983 (59.4%)	62 (3.7%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (2.4%)	40.8	108^th of 227 public high schools	52.4%		34.1	126^th of 220 public high schools	42.7%	18			2.6			59.6	59.6	2.6		$20,165	$1,326	$18,839
Rock Terrace School	Public	6-12	11400 Marcliff Rd	Rockville	20852	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-4650	77	21	3.5	49.4%	18 (23.4%)	25 (32.5%)	22 (28.6%)	10 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.6%)								(n/a)										$84,418	$5,196	$79,222
Winston Churchill High	Public	9-12	11300 Gainsborough Rd	Potomac	20854	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-5400	2,185	120	18.2	10.9%	869 (39.8%)	244 (11.2%)	191 (8.7%)	717 (32.8%)	3 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	149 (6.8%)	84.9	7^th of 227 public high schools	96.9%		84.8	5^th of 220 public high schools	97.7%	2			10.3			91.5	91.5	10.3		$18,087	$1,191	$16,896
Albert Einstein High	Public, Magnet	9-12	11135 Newport Mill Rd	Kensington	20895	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-2700	1,991	134	14.8	42.4%	453 (22.8%)	318 (16.0%)	967 (48.6%)	135 (6.8%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	93 (4.7%)	45.2	89^th of 227 public high schools	60.8%		53.8	57^th of 220 public high schools	74.1%	32			10.1			59.7	59.7	10.1		$19,371	$1,200	$18,171
Wheaton High	Public, Magnet	9-12	12401 Dalewood Dr	Silver Spring	20906	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 321-3400	2,794	172	16.2	56.6%	269 (9.6%)	537 (19.2%)	1,656 (59.3%)	257 (9.2%)	4 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	66 (2.4%)	38.2	120^th of 227 public high schools	47.1%		40.1	107^th of 220 public high schools	51.4%	13			13.1			59.5	59.5	13.1		$17,330	$1,092	$16,237
Thomas Edison High School of Technology	Public	9-12	12501 Dalewood Dr	Silver Spring	20906	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-2000	0	32	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Montgomery Blair High	Public, Magnet	9-12	51 University Blvd E	Silver Spring	20901	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-7200	3,266	199	16.4	43.6%	706 (21.6%)	806 (24.7%)	1,240 (38.0%)	333 (10.2%)	3 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	149 (4.6%)	62	39^th of 227 public high schools	82.8%		52.6	65^th of 220 public high schools	70.5%	26			7.9			73.0	73.0	7.9		$17,726	$981	$16,745

Frequently Asked Questions about Walt Whitman High

What district is Walt Whitman High in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

How many students attend Walt Whitman High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,056 students attended Walt Whitman High.

What is the racial makeup of Walt Whitman High?

Students at Walt Whitman High are 57% White, 16% Asian, 13% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 6% African American.

What schools feed into Walt Whitman High?

Walt Whitman High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bannockburn Elementary
Elementary : Bradley Hills Elementary
Elementary : Burning Tree Elementary
Elementary : Carderock Springs Elementary
Elementary : Wood Acres Elementary
Middle : Thomas W. Pyle Middle

Is Walt Whitman High a good school?

Yes. Walt Whitman High ranks in the top 5.7% of Maryland high schools.

Rate Walt Whitman 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.