District guide
Howard County Public Schools public schools
Parent-focused district context for Howard County, MD: school list, grade pathway, enrollment scale, profile links, and the local checks to make before using the district in a housing decision.
Direct answer for parents
What Howard County Public Schools tells you before choosing a home
Howard County Public Schools is listed with 77 public schools and 57,676 reported students in the current NCES file. Treat this as a district-level research page: it helps you understand scale, grade coverage, and school records, but it does not confirm the school assigned to a specific address.
The current district file lists 42 primary, 20 middle, 13 high, 2 other schools. Verify transition grades, feeder patterns, transfer policies, and program eligibility with the district.
77 district schools are associated with Howard County in the current file, about 100% of listed county schools. Confirm address-level assignment locally.
Grade pathway
District school mix by level
Use this section to separate elementary, middle, high, and other school records before comparing commute, programs, and assignment rules.
42
26,023 reported students
20
13,161 reported students
13
18,368 reported students
2
124 reported students
Parent checks for Howard County Public Schools
These are the local questions that matter after the public data narrows the field.
Confirm the assigned school
Use official attendance-zone or address lookup tools before assuming a school serves a home.
Check transition grades
Elementary choices can split into different middle or high school paths, especially in large districts.
Verify choice-program rules
Charter, magnet, virtual, and transfer options can require applications, lotteries, or eligibility checks.
Compare similar schools
Compare schools at the same level before treating enrollment, grade span, or school type as a quality signal.
School records
Largest listed schools in Howard County Public Schools
Sorted by reported enrollment. Profile links appear where SchoolsByCounty has generated an individual school page; listed-only records still preserve NCES grade, type, city, and enrollment fields.
| School | Level | Grades | City | Enrollment | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reservoir High Regular | High | 9–12 | Fulton | 1,837 | Profile |
| Howard High Regular | High | 9–12 | Ellicott City | 1,741 | Profile |
| Marriotts Ridge High Regular | High | 9–12 | Marriottsville | 1,716 | Profile |
| Long Reach High Regular | High | 9–12 | Columbia | 1,714 | Profile |
| Mount Hebron High Regular | High | 9–12 | Ellicott City | 1,621 | Profile |
| Atholton High Regular | High | 9–12 | Columbia | 1,467 | Profile |
| River Hill High Regular | High | 9–12 | Clarksville | 1,424 | Profile |
| Oakland Mills High Regular | High | 9–12 | Columbia | 1,401 | Profile |
| Centennial High Regular | High | 9–12 | Ellicott City | 1,392 | Profile |
| Wilde Lake High Regular | High | 9–12 | Columbia | 1,341 | Profile |
| Glenelg High Regular | High | 9–12 | Glenelg | 1,339 | Profile |
| Hammond High Regular | High | 9–12 | Columbia | 1,287 | Profile |
| Mount View Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Marriottsville | 894 | Listed only |
| Fulton Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Fulton | 879 | Listed only |
| Veterans Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Ellicott City | 870 | Listed only |
| Waverly Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Ellicott City | 867 | Listed only |
| Hanover Hills Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Hanover | 864 | Listed only |
| Thomas Viaduct Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Hanover | 858 | Listed only |
| Pointers Run Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Clarksville | 812 | Listed only |
| Burleigh Manor Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Ellicott City | 806 | Listed only |
| Elkridge Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Elkridge | 805 | Listed only |
| Bellows Spring Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Ellicott City | 799 | Listed only |
| Dayton Oaks Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Dayton | 783 | Listed only |
| Patuxent Valley Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Jessup | 767 | Listed only |
| Northfield Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Ellicott City | 747 | Listed only |
| Phelps Luck Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Columbia | 746 | Listed only |
| Gorman Crossing Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Laurel | 743 | Listed only |
| Bollman Bridge Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Jessup | 742 | Listed only |
| Hollifield Station Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Ellicott City | 732 | Listed only |
| Deep Run Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Elkridge | 723 | Listed only |
| Mayfield Woods Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Elkridge | 716 | Listed only |
| Centennial Lane Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Ellicott City | 698 | Listed only |
| Folly Quarter Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Ellicott City | 683 | Listed only |
| Bonnie Branch Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Ellicott City | 682 | Listed only |
| Elkridge Landing Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Elkridge | 680 | Listed only |
| Ellicott Mills Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Ellicott City | 670 | Listed only |
| Laurel Woods Elementary Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Laurel | 662 | Listed only |
| Manor Woods Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Ellicott City | 662 | Listed only |
| Patapsco Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Ellicott City | 661 | Listed only |
| Hammond Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Laurel | 651 | Listed only |
Communities in the district file
NCES city fields are directory fields, not attendance boundaries. Use them to orient the district footprint, then verify the exact home-to-school assignment.
County coverage
Some districts can include records associated with more than one county. The route is anchored to the district's primary county record in the current data.
Howard County Public Schools FAQ
What schools are included for Howard County Public Schools?
Howard County Public Schools includes 77 public schools in the current NCES district file. The current district file lists 42 primary, 20 middle, 13 high, 2 other schools.
Does this Howard County Public Schools page show exact attendance zones?
No. SchoolsByCounty publishes district and school records from public data. Attendance boundaries, transportation, transfers, magnet eligibility, and charter rules must be confirmed with Howard County Public Schools or local assignment tools.
Is Howard County Public Schools ranked as the best district in Howard County?
No. This is a district guide, not a recommendation or ranking. Use it to understand the district's listed schools, grade spans, enrollment scale, and available school profiles before verifying local fit.
How many Howard County Public Schools schools have detailed profiles?
12 schools in this district currently link to detailed SchoolsByCounty profiles. Other schools remain listed with NCES directory fields.
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.