Can I use St. Mary's County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's County?

Start with the 28 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

St. Mary's County Schools & Education

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

St. Mary's County, Maryland

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

School Score

73/100

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

$9,045

National avg $13,239

State avg $10,395

School Score

73/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 72/100

State Score Position

#14

of 24 counties by score

Education Data Brief: St. Mary's County

Measured School Summary

St. Mary's County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 73/100 and a graduation rate of 92.0%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

St. Mary's County spends $9,045 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 1% above the Maryland average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 2.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 13% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read St. Mary's 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

28 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

73/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #14 of 24 Maryland counties with school score data.

Completion

92.0%

2.6 pts above the state average

Funding context

$9,045

$1,350 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

St. Mary's County has 28 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 St. Mary's 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

St. Mary's County Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 28 of 28 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#14

of 24 Maryland counties with school score data. The county score is roughly in line with 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.

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

17,493 students

Elementary 19Middle 4High 3Other 2

28 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

St. Mary's County Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 28 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 St. Mary's 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?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

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

Data Story

St. Mary’s County Per-Pupil Spending Remains Below State Average

Education data brief for St. Mary's County, Maryland.

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

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Per-pupil expenditure in St. Mary’s County is $9,045, which is lower than the Maryland state average of $10,395 and significantly below the national average of $13,000. Despite this spending level, the county’s graduation rate is 92.0%, which is higher than the state average of 89.4% and the national average of 87%. St. Mary’s County Public Schools serves 17,493 students across 28 schools, with an average school size of 673 students. The largest institution is Leonardtown High, which enrolls 2,039 students. The district’s composite school score is 72.8, which is slightly above the state average of 72.1 and the national median of 50.0. The district includes one charter school and 15 rural school locations, alongside five schools in city locales. Educational attainment and spending data vary across district lines. Refer to the NCES Common Core of Data for detailed financial and enrollment statistics.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in St. Mary's County

Reported Enrollment

17,493

28 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

4% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary19

Middle4

High3

Other2

1 School District in St. Mary's County

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Guide

28 schools

17,493 students enrolled

Open district guide

28 Public Schools in St. Mary's County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 6 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 28 matching schools

Public schools in St. Mary's County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Leonardtown High	Profile	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Leonardtown, 20650Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	2,039
Great Mills High	Profile	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Great Mills, 20634Suburb: Small	9–12	High	1,779
Chopticon High	Profile	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Morganza, 20660Rural: Distant	9–12	High	1,682
Spring Ridge Middle	Profile	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Lexington Park, 20653Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	987
Leonardtown Middle	Profile	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Leonardtown, 20650Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	969
Margaret Brent Middle	Profile	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Mechanicsville, 20659Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	935
Esperanza Middle	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Lexington Park, 20653City: Small	6–8	Middle	875
Evergreen Elementary School	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	California, 20619Suburb: Small	KG–5	Primary	736
Benjamin Banneker Elementary	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Loveville, 20656Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	590
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Leonardtown, 20650Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	547
Chesapeake Charter School	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Lexington Park, 20653Suburb: Small	KG–8	Charter	519
George Washington Carver Elementary	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Great Mills, 20634Suburb: Small	PK–5	Primary	518
Park Hall Elementary	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Park Hall, 20667Suburb: Small	PK–5	Primary	501
Lettie Marshall Dent Elem	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Mechanicsville, 20659Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	499
Green Holly Elementary School	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Lexington Park, 20653City: Small	PK–5	Primary	492
Leonardtown Elementary	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Leonardtown, 20650Town: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	483
Hollywood Elementary	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Hollywood, 20636Suburb: Small	PK–5	Primary	474
Piney Point Elementary	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Tall Timbers, 20690Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	453
Greenview Knolls Elementary	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Great Mills, 20634City: Small	PK–5	Primary	412
Lexington Park Elementary	Record	St. Mary's County Public Schools	Lexington Park, 20653City: Small	PK–5	Primary	398

Leonardtown High

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Leonardtown, 20650 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,039 students

Great Mills High

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Great Mills, 20634 / Suburb: Small

Profile9–12High1,779 students

Chopticon High

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Morganza, 20660 / Rural: Distant

Profile9–12High1,682 students

Spring Ridge Middle

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Lexington Park, 20653 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle987 students

Leonardtown Middle

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Leonardtown, 20650 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle969 students

Margaret Brent Middle

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Mechanicsville, 20659 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle935 students

Esperanza Middle

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Lexington Park, 20653 / City: Small

Record6–8Middle875 students

Evergreen Elementary School

St. Mary's County Public Schools

California, 20619 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–5Primary736 students

Benjamin Banneker Elementary

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Loveville, 20656 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary590 students

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Leonardtown, 20650 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary547 students

Chesapeake Charter School

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Lexington Park, 20653 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–8Charter519 students

George Washington Carver Elementary

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Great Mills, 20634 / Suburb: Small

RecordPK–5Primary518 students

Park Hall Elementary

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Park Hall, 20667 / Suburb: Small

RecordPK–5Primary501 students

Lettie Marshall Dent Elem

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Mechanicsville, 20659 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary499 students

Green Holly Elementary School

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Lexington Park, 20653 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary492 students

Leonardtown Elementary

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Leonardtown, 20650 / Town: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary483 students

Hollywood Elementary

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Hollywood, 20636 / Suburb: Small

RecordPK–5Primary474 students

Piney Point Elementary

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Tall Timbers, 20690 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary453 students

Greenview Knolls Elementary

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Great Mills, 20634 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary412 students

Lexington Park Elementary

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Lexington Park, 20653 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary398 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$9,045

State avg $10,395

Compare Nearby Counties

Review St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's County?

St. Mary's County has a school score of 73/100, 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 St. Mary's County?

The high school graduation rate in St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's County spend per student?

St. Mary's County spends $9,045 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

Washington County

Maryland

+0 pts

73/100

School score

Garrett County

Maryland

+2 pts

75/100

School score

Frederick County

Maryland

+2 pts

75/100

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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