PG County Schools Noted Among Top Districts In New Ranking

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Prince George's County Public Schools wasn't quite able to nab a spot on this year's list of top ranked school districts, though it still received a mention among Maryland's best school districts for the 2019-2020 school year, according to data compiler Niche.

The rankings were released Monday as part of the website's 2020 K-12 rankings. Each Maryland school district received a letter grade in the following categories: Academics; Diversity; Teachers; College Prep; Clubs & Activities; Health & Safety; Administration; Sports; Food; and Resources & Facilities.

While PG County Schools didn't fall in the top ranked districts, it did receive a letter grade of C from Niche. While the school received top grades in diversity and sports, it didn't fare as well in areas including academics, teachers, administration and food. Comments from current students, alumni and parents are included in the analysis, as well as observations about things like academics, extracurricular activities, student life, college readiness and more.

One student summed up their experience at PG County Schools with this review: "My experience in Prince George's County Public Schools has been outstanding! Being at Fairmont Heights High School has exposed me to so much information to prepare me for the world after high school. I have had countless memories and experiences in PGCPS. All the sporting events and field trips made me feel part of another family. The people I've met have supported and pushed me to do better and reach my goals. One thing I would like to see change, however, is the school times."

To arrive at the rankings, Niche looked at data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as test scores, college data, and ratings collected from Niche users. (You can read more about the methodology here.)

The top-ranked school district in Maryland is Howard County Public School. Niche gave the school system an A or an A+ in all categories except for health and safety (A-). Last year, Howard County was also No. 1. (See last year's list as a comparison: Maryland's Best School Districts: New Rankings Released)

1. Howard County Public Schools
2. Montgomery County Public Schools
3. Worcester County Public Schools
4. Carroll County Public Schools
5. Frederick County Public Schools
6. Calvert County Public Schools
7. Harford County Public Schools
8. Queen Anne's County Public Schools
9. Washington County Public Schools
10. St. Mary's County Public Schools
11. Baltimore County Public Schools
12. Anne Arundel County Public Schools
13. Talbot County Public Schools
14. Charles County Public Schools
15. Caroline County Public Schools
16. Garrett County Public Schools
17. Wicomico County Public Schools

Not ranked by Niche.com but given an overall letter grade by Niche:

• Allegany County Public Schools, B-
• Cecil County Public Schools, B-
• Kent County Public Schools, B-
• Prince George's County Public Schools, C
• Somerset County Public Schools, C
• Baltimore City Public Schools, C-
• Dorchester County Public Schools, C-

Niche looked at more than 94,000 public schools, 4,100 private schools and nearly 11,000 school districts across the country. The rankings are meant to help parents and students find schools that best fit their needs.

"Unlike traditional school rankings, which rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance, Niche's rankings provide a real-life view of what it's like to attend a given school," the company said in a news release.