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Public high school · Calvert County Public Schools · Owings, Maryland

Northern High

Northern High rates 7.0, right at the middle of Calvert County Public Schools's high schools, whose rated median is 7.0.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.0this school

7.0 on a one-to-ten scale; the Calvert County Public Schools median is 7.0.

#493 of 1,363 schools in Maryland · Calvert County Public Schools: 4 high schools rated, median 7.0

The brief

A Calvert County Public Schools high school where students score 4 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 493 of 1,363 schools in Maryland and 8 of 23 in Calvert County Public Schools.

Northern High is listed in Calvert County Public Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math29%2 points above the Maryland average of 27%390 students tested · 2026 MCAP
Reading82%30 points above the Maryland average of 52%356 students tested · 2026 MCAP
Proficiency has fallen 16 points since 2021, to 56% in 2026, across a 18-year record (2009–2026).2026 MCAP; 30 test records from MD state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.2
25% of the rating
Academics
7.3
25% of the rating
College Readiness
8.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
2.9
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 76% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 85% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 MCAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 MCAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 20736; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Northern High and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$159,821
Median home value
$570,900
Median rent
$1,755/mo
College educated
42.3%
Homeownership
94.5%
Poverty rate
1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 20736; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
9
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
22
Somewhat Bikeable
County reported crime
605/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 county residents, counting every city police department, sheriff's office and county police department that reported a full year to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. Shown only where those agencies cover at least 80% of the county's residents. Not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
4 AP courses
46.1% participation · state average 3.1 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
18 sports
8 boys' · 10 girls' · 26 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
20.1%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible district peers, best rated first.
  1. Northern Highthis school
    7.0
  2. Patuxent Highsame district
    6.7Compare →
No grade-compatible school using the same rating model is available within 5 miles, so these are one recorded peers in Calvert County Public Schools, best rated first, and none rates higher than Northern High.Public-school ratings. Same-district campuses. A district label is not attendance eligibility; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Northern High serve?

Northern High serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Northern High?

Northern High has an enrollment of approximately 1,511 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Northern High?

The student-teacher ratio at Northern High is 18.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Northern High rank in MD?

Northern High ranks #493 of 1,363 schools in MD.

What is Northern High's MySchoolScout rating?

Northern High has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.0 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Northern High?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Northern High has 76% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 85% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Northern High a charter school?

No, Northern High is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Northern High a Title I school?

No, Northern High is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Northern High?

20.1% of students at Northern High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
1,511
Student-teacher ratio
18.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
82
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Calvert County
4-year graduation
96.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#8 of 23
Schools in district
25
District spending per student
$14,606
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
5.6%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 20736)
9,775
Area average commute
41.4 min
Area median age
39.1

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Maryland Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.