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

No. Use the Garrett 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 Garrett 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 Garrett County?

Start with the 12 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Garrett County Schools & Education

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

Garrett County, Maryland

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

School Score

75/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Higher Signal

Graduation Rate

92.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

92.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$9,479

National avg $13,239

State avg $10,395

School Score

75/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 72/100

State Score Position

#12

of 24 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Garrett County

Measured School Summary

Garrett County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 75/100 and a graduation rate of 92.0%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

Garrett County spends $9,479 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 4% above the Maryland average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 2.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Garrett 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

12 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

75/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #12 of 24 Maryland counties with school score data.

Completion

92.0%

2.6 pts above the state average

Funding context

$9,479

$916 below the state average

School coverage

1 district represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county screens well on the combined school metrics available here. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Garrett County has 12 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 Garrett 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

Garrett County Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 12 of 12 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#12

of 24 Maryland counties with school score data. The county score is 3 points above 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.

Garrett County Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

3,500 students

Elementary 8Middle 2High 2Other 0

12 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Garrett County Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 12 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 Garrett 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?

Education Overview

About Schools in Garrett County, Maryland

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Intimate Educational Settings in the Mountains

Garrett County operates a focused network of 12 public schools, including 8 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools. The district serves 3,500 students in total, emphasizing a tight-knit community feel. No charter or alternative schools are currently part of the public infrastructure.

One District Serving the Entire County

Garrett County Public Schools oversees all 3,500 students across its 12 campuses. This unified approach allows for a streamlined curriculum and consistent support for all local families. The absence of charter schools means the traditional public system is the central pillar of the community.

The Essence of Rural Education

Eight schools are located in rural areas, while four serve local towns. The average school size is just 292 students, the smallest in this Maryland cohort, ensuring high levels of individual attention. Southern Garrett High School is the largest campus, though it still feels personal with only 624 students.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Garrett County

Reported Enrollment

3,500

12 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary8

Middle2

High2

Other0

1 School District in Garrett County

Garrett County Public Schools

Guide

12 schools

3,500 students enrolled

Open district guide

12 Public Schools in Garrett 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

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Showing 12 of 12 matching schools

Public schools in Garrett County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Southern Garrett High School	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Oakland, 21550Town: Distant	9–12	High	624
Broad Ford Elementary	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Oakland, 21550Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	559
Northern Garrett High School	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Accident, 21520Rural: Distant	9–12	High	439
Southern Middle School	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Oakland, 21550Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	434
Northern Middle School	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Accident, 21520Rural: Distant	6–8	Middle	320
Yough Glades Elementary	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Oakland, 21550Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	280
Accident Elementary	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Accident, 21520Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	235
Grantsville Elementary	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Grantsville, 21536Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	171
Crellin Elementary	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Oakland, 21550Rural: Distant	KG–5	Primary	140
Friendsville Elementary	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Friendsville, 21531Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	138
Route 40 Elementary	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Frostburg, 21532Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	122
Swan Meadow School	Record	Garrett County Public Schools	Oakland, 21550Rural: Distant	KG–8	Primary	38

Southern Garrett High School

Garrett County Public Schools

Oakland, 21550 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High624 students

Broad Ford Elementary

Garrett County Public Schools

Oakland, 21550 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary559 students

Northern Garrett High School

Garrett County Public Schools

Accident, 21520 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High439 students

Southern Middle School

Garrett County Public Schools

Oakland, 21550 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle434 students

Northern Middle School

Garrett County Public Schools

Accident, 21520 / Rural: Distant

Record6–8Middle320 students

Yough Glades Elementary

Garrett County Public Schools

Oakland, 21550 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary280 students

Accident Elementary

Garrett County Public Schools

Accident, 21520 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary235 students

Grantsville Elementary

Garrett County Public Schools

Grantsville, 21536 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary171 students

Crellin Elementary

Garrett County Public Schools

Oakland, 21550 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary140 students

Friendsville Elementary

Garrett County Public Schools

Friendsville, 21531 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary138 students

Route 40 Elementary

Garrett County Public Schools

Frostburg, 21532 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary122 students

Swan Meadow School

Garrett County Public Schools

Oakland, 21550 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary38 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$9,479

State avg $10,395

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Garrett 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 Garrett County?

Garrett County has a school score of 75/100, which is a higher 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 Garrett County?

The high school graduation rate in Garrett County is 92.0%, which is above 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 Garrett County spend per student?

Garrett County spends $9,479 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Garrett County, Maryland — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Garrett County, Maryland?

What are the major school districts in Garrett County, Maryland?

What is the school experience like in Garrett County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Frederick County

Maryland

+0 pts

75/100

School score

Washington County

Maryland

-2 pts

73/100

School score

St. Mary's County

Maryland

-2 pts

73/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 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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