Can I use Dorchester County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Dorchester County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Dorchester County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Dorchester County?

Start with the 13 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Dorchester County Schools & Education

Name: Dorchester County, Maryland Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Dorchester County, Maryland

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

51/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

79.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

79.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$10,998

National avg $13,239

State avg $10,395

School Score

51/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 72/100

State Score Position

#22

of 24 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Dorchester County

Measured School Summary

Dorchester County has midrange measured school signals (score: 51/100) with a graduation rate of 79.0%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

Dorchester County spends $10,998 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 30% below the Maryland average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 10.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Dorchester County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

13 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

51/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #22 of 24 Maryland counties with school score data.

Completion

79.0%

10.4 pts below the state average

Funding context

$10,998

$603 above the state average

School coverage

1 district represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Dorchester County has 13 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Dorchester County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Dorchester County Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 13 of 13 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#22

of 24 Maryland counties with school score data. The county score is 21 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Dorchester County Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

4,523 students

Elementary 7Middle 2High 2Other 2

13 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Dorchester County Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 13 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Dorchester County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Dorchester County Graduation Rate Trails State and National Norms

Education data brief for Dorchester County, Maryland.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Graduation rate

The graduation rate in Dorchester County stands at 79.0%, which is lower than both the Maryland state average of 89.4% and the national average of 87.0%. Dorchester County Public Schools operates 13 schools with a total enrollment of 4,523 students, reflecting a rural and town-based infrastructure. Nine of the county's schools are classified as rural. The largest school in the district is Cambridge-South Dorchester High School, serving 784 students. The county’s composite school score is 50.5, aligning closely with the national median of 50.0 but falling below the state average of 72.1. Per-pupil expenditure is $10,998, which exceeds the state average of $10,395 yet remains below the national average of $13,000. There are no charter schools within the county's single school district. Refer to the Maryland State Department of Education for individual school profiles.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Dorchester County

Reported Enrollment

4,523

13 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary7

Middle2

High2

Other2

1 School District in Dorchester County

Dorchester County Public Schools

Guide

13 schools

4,523 students enrolled

Open district guide

13 Public Schools in Dorchester County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 13 of 13 matching schools

Public schools in Dorchester County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Cambridge, 21613Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	784
North Dorchester High School	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Hurlock, 21643Rural: Distant	9–12	High	572
Mace's Lane Middle School	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Cambridge, 21613Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	481
North Dorchester Middle School	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Hurlock, 21643Rural: Distant	6–8	Middle	415
Maple Elementary School	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Cambridge, 21613Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	392
Hurlock Elementary School	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Hurlock, 21643Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	384
Choptank Elementary School	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Cambridge, 21613Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	375
Sandy Hill Elementary	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Cambridge, 21613Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	374
Warwick Elementary School	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Secretary, 21664Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	347
South Dorchester School	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Church Creek, 21622Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	225
Vienna Elementary School	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Vienna, 21869Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	174
Dorchester County Career and Technology Center	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Cambridge, 21613Rural: Fringe	UG	Vocational	0
Judith P. Hoyer Early Childhood Center	Record	Dorchester County Public Schools	Cambridge, 21613Town: Distant	UG	Alternative	0

Cambridge-South Dorchester High School

Dorchester County Public Schools

Cambridge, 21613 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High784 students

North Dorchester High School

Dorchester County Public Schools

Hurlock, 21643 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High572 students

Mace's Lane Middle School

Dorchester County Public Schools

Cambridge, 21613 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle481 students

North Dorchester Middle School

Dorchester County Public Schools

Hurlock, 21643 / Rural: Distant

Record6–8Middle415 students

Maple Elementary School

Dorchester County Public Schools

Cambridge, 21613 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary392 students

Hurlock Elementary School

Dorchester County Public Schools

Hurlock, 21643 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary384 students

Choptank Elementary School

Dorchester County Public Schools

Cambridge, 21613 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary375 students

Sandy Hill Elementary

Dorchester County Public Schools

Cambridge, 21613 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary374 students

Warwick Elementary School

Dorchester County Public Schools

Secretary, 21664 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary347 students

South Dorchester School

Dorchester County Public Schools

Church Creek, 21622 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary225 students

Vienna Elementary School

Dorchester County Public Schools

Vienna, 21869 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary174 students

Dorchester County Career and Technology Center

Dorchester County Public Schools

Cambridge, 21613 / Rural: Fringe

RecordUGVocational0 students

Judith P. Hoyer Early Childhood Center

Dorchester County Public Schools

Cambridge, 21613 / Town: Distant

RecordUGAlternative0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$10,998

State avg $10,395

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Dorchester County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Maryland counties have the highest graduation rates?

Calvert County (96.0%), Carroll County (96.0%), and Queen Anne's County (96.0%) currently lead Maryland among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Maryland?

Across Maryland counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $10,395. The highest current county values are Worcester County ($12,869), Somerset County ($11,870), and Baltimore city ($11,733). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Dorchester County?

Dorchester County has a school score of 51/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Dorchester County?

The high school graduation rate in Dorchester County is 79.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Dorchester County spend per student?

Dorchester County spends $10,998 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Prince George's County

Maryland

-2 pts

49/100

School score

Baltimore city

Maryland

-3 pts

48/100

School score

Somerset County

Maryland

+4 pts

54/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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