Schools in Zip Code 21208

The nine public schools in Baltimore's 21208 zip code (Pikesville area), all part of the Baltimore County Public Schools district, serve elementary through high school grades and reveal a stark performance divide, with one school dramatically outperforming all others.

Fort Garrison Elementary is the clear standout, ranking in the 96th percentile of Maryland elementary schools with 70.8% math and 83.2% English proficiency—nearly three times the district average. It also has the lowest poverty rate (20.85% free/reduced lunch) and low chronic absenteeism (11.5%). In contrast, other elementary schools like Wellwood International School (37.2% math, 54% ELA) and Bedford Elementary struggle to match state averages. Among middle schools, Sudbrook Magnet Middle stands out with a 63rd percentile ranking, 58.8% ELA proficiency, and the zip code's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at just 7.8%. Meanwhile, Pikesville Middle and Northwest Academy of Health Sciences both earn 1-star ratings, with math proficiency below 6% and chronic absenteeism rates of 40.8% and 29.3%, respectively.

Despite these challenges, Pikesville High performs relatively well with a 92.6% graduation rate and 48.1% ELA proficiency, suggesting effective intervention for students from struggling feeder schools. A key takeaway is that high spending doesn't guarantee success—Fort Garrison spends $22,407 per student and excels, while Bedford Elementary spends nearly as much ($21,745) but achieves far lower results. Math proficiency remains a universal challenge across the zip code, with even top-performing schools showing a significant gap between math and English scores.