Swansfield Elementary vs Stevens Forest Elementary
Stevens Forest Elementary has a higher overall rating of 7.8/10 compared to 5.0/10. Swansfield Elementary is significantly larger with 602 students, about 1.8× the size of Stevens Forest Elementary (328). In math proficiency, Stevens Forest Elementary leads at 32.0%.
Attendance data is under correction. A public school's existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating shown here may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Swansfield Elementary
Columbia, MD
602 students
Stevens Forest Elementary
Columbia, MD
328 students
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| Metric | Swansfield Elementary | Stevens Forest Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 5.0 / 10 | 7.8 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 6.8 | 8.6 |
| Growth Score | 2.1 | 6.6 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 39.5% | 58.2% |
| Environment Score | 9.3 | 9.6 |
| State Rank | #1,105 of 1,363 | #265 of 1,363 |
| State Percentile | 19th | 81th |
Test Scores
| Subject | Swansfield Elementary | Stevens Forest Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 25.0% | 32.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 30.0% | 37.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
Neighborhood
| Metric | Columbia (21044) | Columbia (21045) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $132,924 | $117,323 |
| Median Home Value | $541,100 | $438,500 |
| Median Rent | $2,096 | $1,768 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 67.3% | 57.4% |
| Poverty Rate | 7.1% | 8.4% |
| Avg Commute | 29 min | 28 min |
The data story: Swansfield Elementary vs Stevens Forest Elementary
Stevens Forest Elementary and Swansfield Elementary sit 2.5 miles apart in Columbia, Maryland, but their state rankings tell a sharply different story. Stevens Forest Elementary ranks #63 of 1,363 Maryland elementary schools — a strong result by any measure — yet Swansfield Elementary ranks #12 of 1,363, placing it in the top 1% statewide. The overall rating gap is 0.5 points, with Swansfield Elementary at 9.4/10 against Stevens Forest Elementary's 8.9/10. Both schools serve PK–05, so the comparison is apples-to-apples across the same grade span.
Academically, Swansfield Elementary scores 8.7/10 versus Stevens Forest Elementary's 8.2/10 — a half-point delta that mirrors the overall gap. The growth story favors Swansfield more sharply: Swansfield Elementary posts a 9.9/10 growth score against Stevens Forest Elementary's 9.3/10, a 0.6-point difference suggesting students at Swansfield are advancing at an exceptionally high rate relative to their starting points. A growth score of 9.9 is near the ceiling for any school in the state.
The two schools diverge considerably on demographics and size. Stevens Forest Elementary enrolls 328 students — roughly half the size of Swansfield Elementary's 602. Stevens Forest Elementary's free and reduced-price lunch rate is 58%, compared to 40% at Swansfield Elementary, indicating Stevens Forest serves a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged families. Stevens Forest Elementary also carries a slightly lower student-teacher ratio: 10.9:1 versus Swansfield Elementary's 11.6:1, meaning each teacher at Stevens Forest is responsible for fewer students on average.
Both schools serve the same grade span — PK through 5th — and operate within the same Howard County district, so programmatic offerings and curriculum frameworks are largely parallel. The meaningful distinctions are quantitative: Swansfield Elementary's commanding state rank of #12 and near-perfect growth score reflect outcomes that Stevens Forest Elementary, while genuinely strong at #63, does not currently match. Stevens Forest Elementary's smaller enrollment and lower student-teacher ratio provide a more intimate classroom environment, a trade-off that matters to some families independent of aggregate rankings.
Editorial summary generated April 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
Swansfield Elementary
Stevens Forest Elementary suits families who prioritize a smaller school environment — 328 students versus 602 — and a lower student-teacher ratio of 10.9:1. It also serves a more economically diverse population, with 58% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, making it the right fit for families who value that socioeconomic mix alongside still-strong statewide performance at #63 in Maryland.
Stevens Forest Elementary
Swansfield Elementary is the better fit for families where academic outcomes and growth trajectory are the top priority. Its #12 statewide ranking out of 1,363 Maryland schools and a 9.9/10 growth score are exceptional, and the school's larger size of 602 students can mean more extracurricular variety. Families less concerned with class-size intimacy and more focused on peak measured performance will find Swansfield Elementary the stronger choice.