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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 21042

At a glance

Schools

4,292

Students

5-star schools

Top rankedTriadelphia Ridge Elementary20^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Centennial Lane Elementary up 48 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Waverly Elementary 13.4 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

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Summary:

This analysis examines six elementary schools in zip code 21042 (Ellicott City, MD), all part of the highly-rated Howard County Public Schools district, serving grades K-5 in a suburban area known for strong educational outcomes.

All six schools are top-tier, ranking in the top 10% of Maryland elementary schools, but Triadelphia Ridge Elementary stands out as the clear leader, ranking 20th in the state (98th percentile) with the highest proficiency rates in Math (74.3%), ELA (81.9%), and Science (71.2%). It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism (6.9%) and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (7.27%). Waverly Elementary is a strong second, ranking 38th (96th percentile) with 70.9% Math proficiency and a low student-teacher ratio of 13.4:1. At the other end, St. Johns Lane Elementary has the highest free/reduced lunch rate (20.6%) and chronic absenteeism (13.1%), correlating with the lowest state rank (87th, 90th percentile) and lowest Math (58.3%) and ELA (72.8%) scores in the group. Centennial Lane Elementary showed some year-over-year volatility, dropping to 89th in 2024-2025 before rebounding to 41st in 2025-2026, while Northfield Elementary and Manor Woods Elementary consistently perform well within the top 10%.

Key takeaways include a clear link between socioeconomic factors and performance, with schools having lower free/reduced lunch rates generally achieving higher test scores and rankings. Per-student spending averages $17,402 but does not directly predict success, as Centennial Lane Elementary spends the least ($16,557) yet ranks highly. Despite these differences, every school dramatically outperforms district and state averages in Math, ELA, and Science, making any school in this zip code an excellent choice for families prioritizing a strong educational foundation.

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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 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	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 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Manor Woods Elementary	Public	K-5	11575 Frederick Rd	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7165	697	51	13.5	16.9%	234 (33.6%)	69 (9.9%)	29 (4.2%)	309 (44.3%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	52 (7.5%)	93.3	53^rd of 864 public elementary schools	93.9%		93.5	50^th of 865 public elementary schools	94.2%	3	77.4	63.4	70.9	70.1	69.8	77.5	71.5	73.1	61.2	$17,481	$692	$16,789
Centennial Lane Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3825 Centennial Ln	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2800	749	53	14.0	16.4%	238 (31.8%)	65 (8.7%)	45 (6.0%)	330 (44.1%)	7 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	63 (8.4%)	94.2	41^st of 864 public elementary schools	95.3%		90	89^th of 865 public elementary schools	89.7%	48	68.9	71.7	64.5	68.2	75.4	82.5	77.5	78.5	58.7	$16,557	$748	$15,809
Northfield Elementary	Public	K-5	9125 Northfield Rd	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2806	764	49	15.6	17.5%	322 (42.1%)	71 (9.3%)	74 (9.7%)	221 (28.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (9.8%)	91	81^st of 864 public elementary schools	90.6%		91.3	79^th of 865 public elementary schools	90.9%	2	64.5	55.2	54.7	58.3	76.9	78.4	75.7	77.0	59.3	$16,662	$682	$15,980
St. Johns Lane Elementary	Public	K-5	2960 Saint Johns Ln	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2813	636	44	14.3	20.6%	267 (42.0%)	63 (9.9%)	47 (7.4%)	215 (33.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.6%)	90.3	87^th of 864 public elementary schools	89.9%		86.1	122^nd of 865 public elementary schools	85.9%	35	73.3	54.2	56.1	61.4	77.9	72.9	67.5	72.8	56.1	$17,107	$826	$16,281
Triadelphia Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13400 Triadelphia Rd	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2560	619	45	13.9	7.3%	236 (38.1%)	44 (7.1%)	26 (4.2%)	271 (43.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.3%)	96.6	20^th of 864 public elementary schools	97.7%		96.3	22^nd of 865 public elementary schools	97.5%	2	74.5	74.2	74.3	74.3	78.3	84.1	82.9	81.9	71.2	$18,336	$832	$17,504
Waverly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10220 Wetherburn Rd	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2819	827	61	13.4	9.3%	213 (25.8%)	60 (7.3%)	44 (5.3%)	454 (54.9%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	50 (6.0%)	94.6	38^th of 864 public elementary schools	95.6%		93.4	54^th of 865 public elementary schools	93.8%	16	73.7	69.8	69.9	70.9	78.9	78.9	69.9	75.7	65.0	$18,270	$887	$17,383

Cities Near Zip Code 21042

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Ellicott City	0.82 mi	22	41^st
Columbia	3.39 mi	23	134^th
West Friendship	4.56 mi	1	5^th
Marriottsville	4.75 mi	2	9^th
Catonsville	5.1 mi	4	111^th

See the top MD Maryland cities

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.