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Watkins Mill High

Q: Is Watkins Mill High a good school?

Watkins Mill High ranks 159 th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

159^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 30% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Watkins Mill High in Gaithersburg, MD, is a large public high school serving 1,577 students in grades 9-12 as part of the highly-rated Montgomery County Public Schools district, though it faces significant challenges that set it apart from many nearby schools.

Watkins Mill stands out for its critically low academic performance, particularly in math, where only 5.4% of students are proficient—far below the district average of 36.9% and the lowest among comparable schools except Col. Zadok Magruder High. While English Language Arts proficiency is higher at 44.9%, this still lags behind peers. The school also struggles with a chronic absenteeism rate of 45.1%, nearly double the district average and the highest in the area. Additionally, the dropout rate spiked to 15.0% in 2024-2025, second only to Gaithersburg High (16.4%), and the graduation rate dropped to 82.5%, well below the district average of 88.7%. These issues are part of a troubling cluster with Gaithersburg High, which shares similarly high rates of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch (over 50%), suggesting community-wide socioeconomic factors at play.

Despite spending $21,020 per student—the highest among all nearby schools—Watkins Mill achieves some of the lowest outcomes, indicating that financial resources alone cannot overcome the non-academic needs of its student body, such as attendance and mental health support. On a positive note, the school’s state ranking has improved slightly from the 17th percentile in 2016-2017 to the 30th percentile in 2025-2026, moving from a 1-star to a 2-star rating. However, this progress is fragile, as recent spikes in dropout rates and declines in graduation rates show the school remains in a precarious position.

1,577

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,020

Per pupil spending ?

51.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10301 Apple Ridge Rd
Gaithersburg, MD 20879

(301) 284-4400

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Watkins Mill High:

Elementary:	South Lake Elementary
	Stedwick Elementary
	Watkins Mill Elementary
	Whetstone Elementary
Middle:	Montgomery Village Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.6%

African American:

22.5%

Asian:

8.2%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Watkins Mill High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 26th percentile in 2011 → 30th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (20% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Mathematics scores 22 pts below the Maryland average

!Near the bottom of Montgomery County Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school20%

District avg47%

Maryland avg38%

159^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 35% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^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	25.3	159 of 227	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.3	150 of 220	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.3	174 of 225	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.4	150 of 180	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.5	151 of 233	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.3	168 of 233	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	42.5	163 of 231	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	23.7	152 of 185	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	31.7	142 of 187	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	32.8	136 of 183	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	49.6	143 of 220	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.4	130 of 213	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	53.1	133 of 214	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	43.4	130 of 209	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.1	114 of 204	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	50.4	100 of 204	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2004	53.2	56 of 201	72.1%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts45%-7 vs state

Mathematics5%-22 vs state

Algebra I5%-16 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Saturday, February 2, 2019

The support at this school is amazing. From admin, secretary’s, guidance counselors, wellness center, College Tracks, ACES Program, athletics and the list goes on. A diamond in the rough. So miss represented do too long. You don’t know unless you come and find out for yourself. Close Quote

Schools Near Watkins Mill 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Damascus High	Public	9-12	25921 Ridge Rd	Damascus	20872	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 207-2400	1,390	86	16.1	30.6%	526 (37.8%)	186 (13.4%)	426 (30.6%)	152 (10.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	95 (6.8%)	60	45^th of 227 public high schools	80.2%		54.6	51^st of 220 public high schools	76.8%	6	5.0	73.2	73.2	5.0	$20,784	$1,610	$19,174
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
Alternative Programs	Public	6-12	14501 Avery Road	Rockville	20853	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-5000	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	8.7	223^rd of 227 public high schools	1.8%					(n/a)	0.0	21.7	21.7	0.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Watkins Mill High

Is Watkins Mill High a good school?

Watkins Mill High ranks 159^th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Watkins Mill High?

Students at Watkins Mill High are 61% Hispanic, 23% African American, 8% Asian, 5% White, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Watkins Mill High in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

What schools feed into Watkins Mill High?

Watkins Mill High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : South Lake Elementary
Elementary : Stedwick Elementary
Elementary : Watkins Mill Elementary
Elementary : Whetstone Elementary
Middle : Montgomery Village Middle

How many students attend Watkins Mill High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,577 students attended Watkins Mill 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.