Most Maryland Schools Earn Three or More Stars
Families comparing school zones can check individual school ratings and multi-year performance data at report card.msde.maryland.gov.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Maryland State Department of Education released its 2026 School Report Card, with nearly 89 percent of public schools earning at least three stars, up from 86 percent in 2025. Half of Maryland public schools earned four or five stars, compared with 43 percent the year before.
Why it matters
For families choosing or staying in a school zone, the ratings offer a statewide snapshot of how schools compare across academic achievement, student progress, attendance and graduation rates. Maryland has also announced it will redesign its school accountability system after the 2026 ratings, so the way schools are rated may change in coming years.
Baltimore County had 25 five-star schools and Montgomery County had 36, the most in the state. Within Baltimore City, 23 schools improved their ratings from last year and 15 earned four or five stars, including two with five stars.
The players
Maryland State Department of Education
The state agency that publishes annual school report cards and star ratings for Maryland public schools, which families can search online.
The details
Star ratings draw on academic achievement, student progress, attendance, graduation rates and other indicators, so a school's rating reflects several measures rather than test scores alone. Families can look up individual school ratings and historical performance data at report card.msde.maryland.gov. Comparing a school's rating across several years shows whether it is improving or slipping.
Timeline
2022: Baseline year for the Baltimore City three-to-five-star comparison.
2025: Prior-year ratings baseline for the statewide comparison.
October 29, 2026: Maryland released the 2026 School Report Card.
The Home Front
The annual star ratings give Maryland a consistent yardstick for comparing school quality across counties, which matters in home-buying decisions tied to school zones. Maryland's planned redesign of its accountability system means the rating criteria that shape those comparisons may shift in future years.
If you are considering a move or weighing a school zone, look up the specific schools you care about at report card.msde.maryland.gov and review their rating history, not just the current star count. Compare several years of data, since a school's trend can matter as much as its latest rating.
The takeaway
Star ratings reflect several measures, so check a school's history as well as its current rating before deciding. Save the report card lookup address so you can review updated ratings when the state releases them.
What happens next
Maryland will redesign its school accountability system after the 2026 ratings, and details of the new system are expected as that work proceeds.
Further reading
For context on how schools are evaluated, explore Secondary Education coverage from We are Home.
More information
Look up individual school ratings and historical performance on the Maryland school ratings and performance data lookup.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 92 Q.
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