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Northwest High

Q: Is Northwest High a good school?

Northwest High ranks 31 st of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

31^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 86% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Northwest High in Germantown, MD, is a large, 4-star high school serving 2,300 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, and it has shown a strong upward trajectory in state rankings over the past decade, now sitting in the 86th percentile.

One of the most striking features of Northwest High is its exceptional performance in English Language Arts (ELA), with 73% of students proficient—far exceeding the district average of 58.5% and the state average of 51.7%. This makes it a top performer among nearby schools, trailing only elite schools like Poolesville High (94.5%) and Thomas S. Wootton High (87%). However, the school faces a significant challenge in mathematics, where only 17.9% of students are proficient—well below the district (36.9%) and state (27.1%) averages. This creates a dramatic "ELA-Math gap" of over 55 percentage points, the largest among all comparable schools in the area. Despite this, Northwest boasts an exceptionally low dropout rate of 3.2%, the lowest among nearby schools and far better than the district average of 8.2%, suggesting strong systems for keeping students on track to graduate.

Interestingly, Northwest High stands in stark contrast to its closest neighbor, Seneca Valley High, which serves the same city but has vastly different outcomes—Northwest outperforms Seneca Valley in every academic metric, including ELA (73% vs. 56.5%) and math (17.9% vs. 3.8%). The school also shows resilience in serving a diverse student body, with over 36% of students eligible for free and reduced lunch, yet achieving strong ELA results and a low dropout rate compared to schools with similar demographics like Quince Orchard High (74.2% ELA, 7.4% dropout) and Clarksburg High (69.1% ELA, 6.2% dropout). However, chronic absenteeism is a growing concern at 29.7%, higher than the district average of 22.6%, and per-student spending has risen to $17,959, which is higher than top-performing peers like Poolesville ($17,621) and Wootton ($17,926), raising questions about resource allocation to address the math proficiency gap.

2,300

Students ?

16.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,959

Per pupil spending ?

36.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

13501 Richter Farm Rd
Germantown, MD 20874

(240) 740-7100

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Northwest High:

Elementary:	Clopper Mill Elementary
	Darnestown Elementary
	Diamond Elementary
	Dr. Ronald E. McNair Elementary
	More...
	Germantown Elementary
	Great Seneca Creek Elementary
	Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary
Middle:	Kingsview Middle
	Lakelands Park Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

26.2%

Hispanic:

26.1%

White:

21.0%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 67th percentile in 2015 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (48% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Maryland high schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 19 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg47%

Maryland avg38%

31^st of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 22 pts since 2016

From top 36% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 26High 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
2026	64.1	31 of 227	86.3%	★★★★☆
2025	63.3	31 of 220	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	58.0	33 of 127	74.0%	★★★★☆
2022	58.5	43 of 225	80.9%	★★★★☆
2021	70.6	11 of 32	65.6%	★★★★☆
2019	57.0	52 of 138	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.0	35 of 197	82.2%	★★★★☆
2017	57.7	58 of 180	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.2	83 of 233	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	59.8	78 of 233	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	74.0	72 of 231	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	70.5	65 of 185	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	68.6	70 of 187	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.3	69 of 183	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.1	111 of 220	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	65.0	106 of 213	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	66.5	97 of 214	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.8	72 of 209	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	58.0	83 of 204	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	65.4	44 of 204	78.4%	★★★★☆
2004	48.5	86 of 201	57.2%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	61.7	10 of 25	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	68.9	12 of 35	65.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	70.2	17 of 40	57.5%	★★★☆☆

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)66th percentile~ school

Asian (2021)60th percentile-6 vs school

White (2021)58th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts73%+21 vs state

Mathematics18%-9 vs state

Algebra I18%-3 vs state

5.0

3 ratings

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Schools Near Northwest 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)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northwest High	Public, Magnet	9-12	13501 Richter Farm Rd	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-7100	2,300	138	16.7	36.1%	482 (21.0%)	602 (26.2%)	600 (26.1%)	471 (20.5%)	3 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	130 (5.7%)	64.1	31^st of 227 public high schools	86.3%		63.3	31^st of 220 public high schools	85.9%		17.9	73.0	73.0	17.9	$17,959	$1,282	$16,677
Seneca Valley High	Public, Magnet	9-12	19401 Crystal Rock Dr	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-6400	2,409	159	15.1	49.2%	274 (11.4%)	892 (37.0%)	861 (35.7%)	269 (11.2%)	3 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	105 (4.4%)	44.7	90^th of 227 public high schools	60.4%		40.5	105^th of 220 public high schools	52.3%	15	3.8	56.5	56.5	3.8	$19,473	$1,318	$18,155
Quince Orchard High	Public	9-12	15800 Quince Orchard Rd	Gaithersburg	20878	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-3600	2,100	131	16.0	38.0%	656 (31.2%)	312 (14.9%)	769 (36.6%)	224 (10.7%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	124 (5.9%)	61.1	42^nd of 227 public high schools	81.5%		48.3	77^th of 220 public high schools	65.0%	35	11.2	74.2	74.2	11.2	$18,368	$914	$17,454
Watkins Mill High	Public, Magnet	9-12	10301 Apple Ridge Rd	Gaithersburg	20879	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 284-4400	1,577	114	13.8	51.7%	86 (5.5%)	355 (22.5%)	955 (60.6%)	130 (8.2%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	43 (2.7%)	25.3	159^th of 227 public high schools	30.0%		25.3	150^th of 220 public high schools	31.8%	9	5.4	44.9	44.9	5.4	$21,020	$1,518	$19,502
Gaithersburg High	Public, Magnet	9-12	101 Education Blvd	Gaithersburg	20877	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 284-4500	2,441	175	13.9	55.7%	206 (8.4%)	485 (19.9%)	1,527 (62.6%)	145 (5.9%)	3 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	70 (2.9%)	28.5	148^th of 227 public high schools	34.8%		24.3	153^rd of 220 public high schools	30.5%	5	10.8	45.1	45.1	10.8	$20,333	$1,272	$19,061
Clarksburg High	Public, Magnet	9-12	22500 Wims Rd	Clarksburg	20871	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-6000	2,241	131	17.0	36.9%	308 (13.7%)	625 (27.9%)	614 (27.4%)	572 (25.5%)	7 (0.3%)	3 (0.1%)	104 (4.6%)	56.8	55^th of 227 public high schools	75.8%		50	73^rd of 220 public high schools	66.8%	18	17.8	69.1	69.1	17.8	$18,789	$1,206	$17,583
Thomas S. Wootton High	Public	9-12	2100 Wootton Pkwy	Rockville	20850	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1500	1,870	101	18.5	13.4%	635 (34.0%)	238 (12.7%)	174 (9.3%)	700 (37.4%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	113 (6.0%)	80.4	12^th of 227 public high schools	94.7%		83.1	7^th of 220 public high schools	96.8%	5	8.6	87.0	87.0	8.6	$17,926	$1,166	$16,760
Poolesville High	Public, Magnet	9-12	17501 W Willard Rd	Poolesville	20837	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-2400	1,351	67	20.2	12.1%	493 (36.5%)	109 (8.1%)	130 (9.6%)	512 (37.9%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	102 (7.5%)	85.5	5^th of 227 public high schools	97.8%		87.9	2^nd of 220 public high schools	99.1%	3	15.5	94.5	94.5	15.5	$17,621	$1,014	$16,607
Richard Montgomery High	Public, Magnet	9-12	250 Richard Montgomery Dr	Rockville	20852	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-6100	2,366	134	17.6	29.3%	653 (27.6%)	367 (15.5%)	627 (26.5%)	555 (23.5%)	7 (0.3%)	1 (0.0%)	143 (6.0%)	63.5	34^th of 227 public high schools	85.0%		63	32^nd of 220 public high schools	85.5%	2	4.3	73.5	73.5	4.3	$17,472	$1,056	$16,417
Col. Zadok Magruder High	Public, Magnet	9-12	5939 Muncaster Mill Rd	Rockville	20855	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-5550	1,671	109	15.3	48.2%	343 (20.5%)	321 (19.2%)	734 (43.9%)	195 (11.7%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (4.2%)	46.1	86^th of 227 public high schools	62.1%		43.5	94^th of 220 public high schools	57.3%	8	1.9	63.0	63.0	1.9	$20,372	$1,605	$18,767

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest High

What district is Northwest High in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

How many students attend Northwest High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,300 students attended Northwest High.

What is the racial makeup of Northwest High?

Students at Northwest High are 26% African American, 26% Hispanic, 21% White, 20% Asian, 6% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Northwest High?

Northwest High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Clopper Mill Elementary
Elementary : Darnestown Elementary
Elementary : Diamond Elementary
Elementary : Dr. Ronald E. McNair Elementary
Elementary : Germantown Elementary
Elementary : Great Seneca Creek Elementary
Elementary : Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary
Middle : Kingsview Middle
Middle : Lakelands Park Middle

Is Northwest High a good school?

Northwest High ranks 31^st of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Northwest High!

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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.