Armistead Gardens Elementary/Middle vs Hampden Elementary/Middle

Armistead Gardens Elementary/Middle holds a 0.4-point overall rating edge over Hampden Elementary/Middle — 9.0/10 versus 8.6/10 — and that gap widens considerably in state context. Armistead Gardens ranks #61 of 1,363 Maryland schools, while Hampden ranks #136 of 1,363, placing Armistead Gardens in roughly the top 4.5% statewide and Hampden in the top 10%. Both are strong performers, but Armistead Gardens sits notably higher in Maryland's competitive ranking ladder.

The academic and growth scores tell a split story. Hampden Elementary/Middle scores a 9.5/10 in academics versus Armistead Gardens Elementary/Middle's 8.6/10 — a full 0.9-point advantage for Hampden on raw academic proficiency. Growth is a dead heat: both schools score 9.9/10, meaning students at each school are advancing at nearly identical rates relative to peers. The practical implication is that Armistead Gardens pulls ahead in overall rating despite lower academic proficiency, likely driven by equity-adjusted composite factors — while Hampden's academic ceiling is measurably higher.

The demographic and resource profiles diverge sharply. Armistead Gardens enrolls 767 students versus Hampden's 496, and its student-teacher ratio is 12.6:1 compared to Hampden's 17.1:1 — meaning Armistead Gardens students have access to roughly one additional teacher per 4.5 students. That structural advantage is significant at the elementary level. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility stands at 74% at Armistead Gardens versus 45% at Hampden, reflecting meaningfully different socioeconomic compositions across the two communities 4.5 miles apart.

Both schools serve identical grade bands — PK through 8 — so neither offers a structural advantage in grade coverage or transition continuity. Families can plan a full elementary-to-middle pathway at either campus without changing schools.