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

No. Use the Harford 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 Harford 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 Harford County?

Start with the 55 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Harford County Schools & Education

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

Harford County, Maryland

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

School Score

66/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

90.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

90.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$9,357

National avg $13,239

State avg $10,395

School Score

66/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 72/100

State Score Position

#16

of 24 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Harford County

Measured School Summary

Harford County performs at an average level with a school score of 66/100 and a solid graduation rate of 90.0%.

Funding Context

Harford County spends $9,357 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 8% below the Maryland average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 10% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Harford 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

55 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

66/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #16 of 24 Maryland counties with school score data.

Completion

90.0%

0.6 pts above the state average

Funding context

$9,357

$1,038 below 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

Harford County has 55 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 Harford 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

Harford County Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 55 of 55 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#16

of 24 Maryland counties with school score data. The county score is 6 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.

Harford County Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

38,037 students

Elementary 33Middle 9High 11Other 2

55 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Harford County Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 55 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 Harford 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

Harford County Per-Pupil Spending Below State and National Averages

Education data brief for Harford County, Maryland.

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

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Per-pupil expenditure in Harford County is $9,357, a figure that is lower than the Maryland state average of $10,395 and substantially below the national average of $13,000. Harford County Public Schools operates 55 schools with a total enrollment of 38,037 students. Aberdeen High School is the largest school in the district, enrolling 1,495 students. The county maintains a graduation rate of 90.0%, which is slightly higher than the state average of 89.4% and the national average of 87.0%. The composite school score of 66.3 is lower than the state average of 72.1 but remains above the national median of 50.0. Of the 55 schools, 42 are located in suburban locales and 13 in rural areas, with no charter schools in operation. Check the NCES Common Core of Data for district-specific expenditure reports.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Harford County

Reported Enrollment

38,037

55 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary33

Middle9

High11

Other2

1 School District in Harford County

Harford County Public Schools

Guide

55 schools

38,037 students enrolled

Open district guide

55 Public Schools in Harford County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 14 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 55 matching schools

Public schools in Harford County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Aberdeen High	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Aberdeen, 21001Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,495
Bel Air High	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Bel Air, 21014Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,489
Edgewood High	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Edgewood, 21040Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,415
C. Milton Wright High	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Bel Air, 21015Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,266
North Harford High	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Pylesville, 21132Rural: Distant	9–12	High	1,221
Southampton Middle	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Bel Air, 21014Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	1,175
Bel Air Middle	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Bel Air, 21014Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	1,138
Youths Benefit Elementary	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Fallston, 21047Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	1,123
Aberdeen Middle	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Aberdeen, 21001Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	1,082
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Bel Air, 21014Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	1,057
Fallston High	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Fallston, 21047Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,044
Fallston Middle School	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Fallston, 21047Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	1,007
Edgewood Middle	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Edgewood, 21040Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	999
Harford Technical High	Profile	Harford County Public Schools	Bel Air, 21015Rural: Fringe	9–12	Vocational	979
North Harford Middle	Record	Harford County Public Schools	Pylesville, 21132Rural: Distant	6–8	Middle	848
Old Post Road Elementary	Record	Harford County Public Schools	Abingdon, 21009Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	842
Joppatowne High	Record	Harford County Public Schools	Joppa, 21085Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	833
Patterson Mill High School	Record	Harford County Public Schools	Bel Air, 21015Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	819
Havre de Grace High	Record	Harford County Public Schools	Havre de Grace, 21078Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	818
Patterson Mill Middle School	Record	Harford County Public Schools	Bel Air, 21015Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	760

Aberdeen High

Harford County Public Schools

Aberdeen, 21001 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,495 students

Bel Air High

Harford County Public Schools

Bel Air, 21014 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,489 students

Edgewood High

Harford County Public Schools

Edgewood, 21040 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,415 students

C. Milton Wright High

Harford County Public Schools

Bel Air, 21015 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,266 students

North Harford High

Harford County Public Schools

Pylesville, 21132 / Rural: Distant

Profile9–12High1,221 students

Southampton Middle

Harford County Public Schools

Bel Air, 21014 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile6–8Middle1,175 students

Bel Air Middle

Harford County Public Schools

Bel Air, 21014 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile6–8Middle1,138 students

Youths Benefit Elementary

Harford County Public Schools

Fallston, 21047 / Suburb: Midsize

ProfilePK–5Primary1,123 students

Aberdeen Middle

Harford County Public Schools

Aberdeen, 21001 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile6–8Middle1,082 students

Homestead/Wakefield Elementary

Harford County Public Schools

Bel Air, 21014 / Suburb: Midsize

ProfilePK–5Primary1,057 students

Fallston High

Harford County Public Schools

Fallston, 21047 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,044 students

Fallston Middle School

Harford County Public Schools

Fallston, 21047 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile6–8Middle1,007 students

Edgewood Middle

Harford County Public Schools

Edgewood, 21040 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile6–8Middle999 students

Harford Technical High

Harford County Public Schools

Bel Air, 21015 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12Vocational979 students

North Harford Middle

Harford County Public Schools

Pylesville, 21132 / Rural: Distant

Record6–8Middle848 students

Old Post Road Elementary

Harford County Public Schools

Abingdon, 21009 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary842 students

Joppatowne High

Harford County Public Schools

Joppa, 21085 / Suburb: Midsize

Record9–12High833 students

Patterson Mill High School

Harford County Public Schools

Bel Air, 21015 / Suburb: Midsize

Record9–12High819 students

Havre de Grace High

Harford County Public Schools

Havre de Grace, 21078 / Suburb: Midsize

Record9–12High818 students

Patterson Mill Middle School

Harford County Public Schools

Bel Air, 21015 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle760 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$9,357

State avg $10,395

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Harford 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 Harford County?

Harford County has a school score of 66/100, 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 Harford County?

The high school graduation rate in Harford County is 90.0%, 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 Harford County spend per student?

Harford County spends $9,357 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

Anne Arundel County

Maryland

-1 pts

66/100

School score

Baltimore County

Maryland

-1 pts

65/100

School score

Montgomery County

Maryland

+3 pts

69/100

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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