Maryland Schools Post Gains in 2026 Report Card
Nearly 89 percent of state public schools earned at least three stars, up from 86 percent in 2025.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The Maryland State Department of Education released its 2026 School Report Card, showing nearly 89 percent of public schools earned at least three stars. Half of Maryland public schools earned four or five stars, compared with 43 percent in 2025.
Why it matters
The ratings give families a comparative view of school performance across the state, and Maryland will redesign its accountability system after the 2026 ratings. The results also show gains in Baltimore City, a district that has long trailed statewide averages.
The annual ratings weigh academic achievement, student progress, attendance and graduation rates. Baltimore City had 15 schools earning four or five stars, including two with five stars, while Baltimore County had 25 five-star schools.
The players
Maryland State Department of Education
The state agency that oversees public K-12 education in Maryland and publishes the annual School Report Card.
The details
The annual ratings consider academic achievement, student progress, attendance, graduation rates and other indicators. Twenty-three Baltimore City schools improved their ratings from last year, and Eastern Technical School posted the state's highest performance score at 94 points.
Timeline
2022: Baseline year for the Baltimore City three-to-five-star comparison.
2025: Prior-year baseline for the statewide comparison.
October 29, 2026: Maryland released the 2026 School Report Card.
Legacy Context
The 2026 report card is the last under the current star-rating framework before Maryland redesigns its school accountability system. The comparison with the 2022 Baltimore City baseline shows the scale of the district's improvement over four years.
Parents can review individual school ratings and historical performance data at report card.msde.maryland.gov. Families in Baltimore City and Baltimore County can compare schools in their districts using the star ratings.
The takeaway
Families can use the state's star ratings and historical data to compare schools before making enrollment decisions. The results show that improvement is possible in districts that have struggled.
Further reading
Explore more on Secondary Education to see how school ratings shape choices for families across Maryland.
More information
Look up individual school ratings and performance history on the Maryland school ratings and performance data lookup portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 92 Q.
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