PRINCE FREDERICK — Two Calvert County high schools rank among Maryland’s top 50 in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, and every high school in the county placed in the state’s top 100, a stronger showing than any of its Southern Maryland neighbors.
Huntingtown High School ranked No. 36 in Maryland and No. 1,771 nationally in the 2026-2027 Best High Schools list, released in August. Northern High School in Owings ranked No. 45 in the state and No. 2,103 nationally, according to U.S. News.
Calvert County Public Schools highlighted those results in an Oct. 23 news release celebrating the rankings, which arrived days after U.S. News published its 2027 Best Elementary and Middle Schools lists on Oct. 20. The district used the occasion to point to state test scores that run well above Maryland averages.
How Calvert compares
The county’s other two high schools also made the state’s top 100: Patuxent High in Lusby at No. 91 and Calvert High in Prince Frederick at No. 96.
Across the rest of Southern Maryland, the highest-ranked school in St. Mary’s County was Leonardtown High at No. 62. In Charles County, North Point High in Waldorf ranked highest at No. 90, followed by La Plata High at No. 105. In southern Anne Arundel County, Southern High in Harwood ranked No. 49.
| School | County | Maryland rank |
|---|---|---|
| Huntingtown High | Calvert | 36 |
| Northern High | Calvert | 45 |
| Southern High | Anne Arundel | 49 |
| Leonardtown High | St. Mary’s | 62 |
| North Point High | Charles | 90 |
| Patuxent High | Calvert | 91 |
| Calvert High | Calvert | 96 |
| La Plata High | Charles | 105 |
U.S. News ranks high schools using a methodology that includes college readiness, state assessment performance and graduation rates, according to the district’s release.
Elementary and middle schools
The newer elementary and middle school rankings evaluated more than 46,000 elementary schools and more than 24,000 middle schools nationwide, ranking each within its state. Half of each score reflects reading and math proficiency, and the other half compares results to what would be expected given the share of economically disadvantaged and historically underserved students, The Daily Record reported.
The district’s release did not name specific Calvert elementary or middle schools or their ranks. No Calvert school appeared in the state’s top 10 at either level, according to The Daily Record’s list. Ocean City Elementary ranked first among Maryland elementary schools and Clarksville Middle in Howard County topped the middle school list.
Instead, CCPS pointed to its 2026 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program results as context for the rankings:
| 2026 MCAP proficiency | Calvert | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| English, grades 3-8 | 64.3% | 50.2% |
| Math, grades 3-8 | 40.1% | 27.8% |
| Math, grades 3-5 | 50.7% | 35.8% |
| Life Science (biology) | 64.9% | 47.8% |
| Government | 75.4% | 46% |
| Grade 8 social studies | 59.2% | 41.7% |
Calvert students also beat state science proficiency rates in both tested grades, five and eight, according to the district. The Chronicle has reported that the county posted the state’s best math gains this year, though eighth-grade science has stalled.
Even with those gains, a majority of Calvert students in grades 3-8 still did not reach proficiency in math.
“I am proud of these impressive accomplishments by our students and staff,” Superintendent Marcus Newsome said in the release. He said the district remains committed to continuous improvement so every student has the opportunity to thrive.
The school system serves about 15,000 students in 12 elementary schools, six middle schools, four high schools, the Career & Technology Academy and Calvert Country School.
