Best Schools in Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis has 18 ranked public schools with an average score of 6.3 out of 10 — a middling citywide baseline that masks meaningful variation. Only 6 of those 18 schools, or 33%, score 7 or higher, so the landscape splits clearly between a strong top tier and a broader middle and lower band. Parents doing due diligence need to look beyond city-level averages and evaluate specific schools against each other.

The top of that tier is led by Hillsmere Elementary, which earns a 9.5 — the highest score among all ranked schools in the city. West Annapolis Elementary follows at 9.3, and Eastport Elementary lands at 8.8. All three sit well above the city average and represent the strongest academic options currently available. Tyler Heights Elementary (8.1) and Windsor Farm Elementary (7.7) round out the group above 7.5, both comfortably clearing the 6.3 citywide mean.

What stands out about Annapolis is that the strongest performers are concentrated at the elementary level. The 9.5-to-7.7 range at the top is tight and confined to a single grade band, which raises a practical question parents should factor in early: the feeder path from these high-performing elementaries matters. Strong early options do not automatically translate to equivalent middle or high school performance, and the citywide average of 6.3 signals more variability across the full pipeline than the top schools alone imply.

For families relocating to Annapolis, school assignment boundaries are the most important variable to pin down before choosing a neighborhood. With only one in three schools scoring above 7, the difference between an 8.8 and a 5.5 can come down to a few blocks. Parents should cross-reference school scores against attendance zone maps, confirm the grade span each school covers, and weigh the city's strong elementary options against the longer trajectory through middle and high school. The top tier here is genuinely competitive — the challenge is planning beyond it.