Baltimore

Best Baltimore suburbs for schools

Ranked almost entirely on the Schools category — within-state proficiency, student–teacher ratio, graduation rate and schools nearby — with the two poll questions about children and teenagers at 20% once a place has enough responses.

Updated Sep 2026·58 suburbs considered, 10 listed
1
Aerial View of Columbia, MD. Merriweather Post Pavilion in center top of image.
Columbia$497k median · 27.9 min commute
Schools ACost of living C+Residents inactive
91
Schools score
overall 71 B−
2
Intersection of Beechwood Road and Bonnie Branch Road
Ilchester$532k median · 27.6 min commute
Schools ACost of living CResidents inactive
90
Schools score
overall 71 B−
3
Elkridge Furnace Inn on Furnace Avenue in Elkridge, MD.
Elkridge$454k median · 27.4 min commute
Schools ACost of living C+Residents inactive
90
Schools score
overall 67 C+
4
North Laurel, Maryland in August 1998. All Saints Road looking southwest from approximately Whiskey Bottom Road (not shown). Apparently, from bottom: Whiskey Bo
North Laurel$450k median · 27.7 min commute
Schools ACost of living C+Residents inactive
89
Schools score
overall 69 B−
5
Aerial view of the US 29/MD 216 interchange in September 2018
Scaggsville$669k median · 29.6 min commute
Schools ACost of living D+Residents inactive
88
Schools score
overall 74 B
6
Main Street and Church Lane in Ellicott City
Ellicott City$662k median · 28.2 min commute
Schools A−Cost of living CResidents inactive
86
Schools score
overall 72 B−
7
Buildings in Westminster, Maryland.
Westminster$338k median · 28.5 min commute
Schools B+Cost of living BResidents inactive
82
Schools score
overall 61 C
8
Eldersburg$494k median · 34.2 min commute
Schools B+Cost of living BResidents inactive
80
Schools score
overall 65 C+
9
View west along Maryland State Route 132 (Bel Air Avenue) at Howard Street in Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland
Aberdeen$261k median · 27.5 min commute
Schools B−Cost of living B+Residents inactive
69
Schools score
overall 57 C−
10
Edgewood$242k median · 31.0 min commute
Schools B−Cost of living B+Residents inactive
69
Schools score
overall 55 C−
This list's weighting
Schools 80%Resident poll (Q5, Q6) 20%

Poll components only count for places with eight or more resident responses; for the others the remaining weights re-normalise to 100%.

Other Baltimore lists
Best Baltimore suburbs for familiesMost affordable Baltimore suburbsShortest commutes to Downtown BaltimoreMost walkable Baltimore suburbsBest Baltimore suburbs for young professionalsHow we score Baltimore suburbs →

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Columbia (Powerhawk5k · CC0); Ilchester (Scott218 · CC BY-SA 4.0); Elkridge (Scott Saghirian · CC BY 2.0); North Laurel (FlugKerl2 · CC BY-SA 3.0); Scaggsville (Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 3.0); Ellicott City (Scott Saghirian · CC BY 2.0); Westminster (Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0); Aberdeen (Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0).