Maryland Has 15 Best STEM High Schools: Newsweek

MARYLAND — When it comes to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Maryland has 15 of the best 500 high schools in America, according to a new ranking. Newsweek released the list this November, based on data from STEM.org.

"Children are natural STEM students. They love to explore," Newsweek Global Editor in Chief Nancy Cooper said in a statement with the rankings. "We need to make sure that innate drive, curiosity and creativity aren't lost along the way."

Among the schools deemed tops for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are "high-profile institutions" in urban areas and "small but strong programs" around the United States, according to Cooper. In all cases, she said the best STEM schools have "skilled teachers who keep up with developments in these fields and who create dynamic learning environments to engage their students."

Here are all the STEM schools in Maryland that earned a spot on the list:

Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Baltimore
Public
STEM Rank: 36

Poolesville High School
Poolesville
Public
STEM Rank: 121

Thomas S. Wootton High School
Rockville
Public
STEM Rank: 160

Eastern Technical High School
Essex
Public
STEM Rank: 240

Holton-Arms School
Bethesda
Public
STEM Rank: 243

Centennial High School
Ellicott City
Public
STEM Rank: 268

Winston Churchill High School
Potomac
Public
STEM Rank: 282

River Hill High School
Clarksville
Public
STEM Rank: 290

Towson High School
Towson
Public
STEM Rank: 310

Gilman School
Baltimore
Private
STEM Rank: 312

Marriotts Ridge High School
Marriottsville
Public
STEM Rank: 412

The Bryn Mawr School
Baltimore
Private
STEM Rank: 412

Walt Whitman High School
Bethesda
Public
STEM Rank: 419

Urbana High School
Ijamsville
Public
STEM Rank: 445

McDonogh School
Owings Mills
Private
STEM Rank: 459

To come up with its rankings, educational research company STEM.org used a proprietary regression analysis. It assessed data from the second quarter of 2015 through the third quarter of 2019 to find out which schools in America best offer students experiences in STEM while preparing them for post-secondary outcomes, such as college or careers. The rankings took into consideration affluence and median household income, among other factors, according to Newsweek.

Texas had three schools crack the top 10 best STEM schools overall in the country, including the top two institutions.

School of Science and Engineering, located in Dallas, Texas, was ranked as the No. 1 STEM school in the United States.

STEM schools in eight different states made the top 10.

1. School of Science and Engineering: Dallas, Texas
2. School for the Talented and Gifted: Dallas, Texas
3. Stanford Online High School: Redwood City, California
4. Bronx High School of Science: Bronx, New York
5. University of Chicago Laboratory Schools: Chicago, Illinois
6. Liberal Arts and Science Academy: Austin, Texas
7. The Early College at Guilford: Greensboro, North Carolina
8. Maine School of Science and Mathematics: Limestone, Maine
9. Cranbrook Schools: Bloomsfield Hills, Michigan
10. Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science: Worcester, Massachusetts

The full report on the best STEM schools in America is available on Newsweek.org.

— By Gus Saltonstall and Elizabeth Janney