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Walt Whitman High

Public Grades 9-12

8^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 220 Maryland High Schools

Better than 96% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Walt Whitman High is a public high school located in Bethesda, Maryland, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,042 students. It is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, which is ranked 8th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Walt Whitman High has consistently been one of the top-performing high schools in Maryland, ranking within the top 10 schools in the state for several years. In the 2024-2025 school year, it ranked 8th out of 220 Maryland high schools and received a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school excels in academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts, where 88.7% of students were proficient or better in 2024-2025, compared to 57% for the district and 50.8% for the state. Walt Whitman High also maintains high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 89.6% to 94.0% over the past few years, consistently outperforming the state and district averages.

Compared to nearby high schools, Northwood High, Montgomery Blair High, Richard Montgomery High, Wheaton High, and Albert Einstein High, Walt Whitman High outperforms them in academic performance, graduation rates, and student subgroup performance. The only nearby school that appears to be on par with Walt Whitman High is Winston Churchill High, which also ranks among the top high schools in Maryland.

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 — 87th percentile in 2013 → 96th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (67% vs 37% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 4% of Maryland high schools

✓94% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

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

!Mathematics scores 10 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school67%

District avg46%

Maryland avg37%

8^th of 220

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 4%▲ up 13 pts since 2015

From top 16% (2015) to top 4% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 25High Schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools

8^th of 25Montgomery 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
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 (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts89%+38 vs state

Mathematics16%-10 vs state

Algebra I16%-5 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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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

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)	MCAP English Language Arts (2025)		MCAP Algebra I (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	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%)	82.4	8^th of 220 public high schools	96.4%		81	7^th of 146 public high schools	95.2%	1	16.5	88.7	88.7	16.5	$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%)	71.1	22^nd of 220 public high schools	90.0%		62.2	26^th of 146 public high schools	82.2%	4	15.0	78.5	78.5	15.0	$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%)	76.3	15^th of 220 public high schools	93.2%		69.5	15^th of 146 public high schools	89.7%		11.6	84.4	84.4	11.6	$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%)	34.1	126^th of 220 public high schools	42.7%					(n/a)	0.5	52.9	52.9	0.5	$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)			0.0		$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%)	84.8	5^th of 220 public high schools	97.7%		85.6	1^st of 146 public high schools	99.3%	4	22.2	84.6	84.6	22.2	$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%)	53.8	57^th of 220 public high schools	74.1%					(n/a)	5.1	68.4	68.4	5.1	$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%)	40.1	107^th of 220 public high schools	51.4%		40.6	84^th of 146 public high schools	42.5%	23	5.0	55.6	55.6	5.0	$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%)	52.6	65^th of 220 public high schools	70.5%		40.9	82^nd of 146 public high schools	43.8%	17	10.4	65.0	65.0	10.4	$17,726	$981	$16,745

Frequently Asked Questions about Walt Whitman High

Is Walt Whitman High a good school?

Yes! Walt Whitman High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 8^th of 220 Maryland high schools.

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

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.

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Schools in Bethesda, MD

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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.