Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Bel Air

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Downtown Bel Air WinterPhoto: Yaoiloverr · CC BY-SA 4.0
B
Schools in Bel Air · Harford County Public Schools

Bel Air’s public schools outscore 64% of Maryland districts

The grade covers the public school district serving Bel Air, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Maryland, not nationally.

#93of 261 Maryland townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Maryland state tests taken in spring 2022, when 97% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
50%
▲ 5 pts vs MD 45%
2021–22
Math proficiency
27%
▲ 2 pts vs MD 25%
2021–22
Graduate on time
91%
▲ 5 pts vs MD 86%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$17.5K
▼ 14% vs MD $20.3K
FY2024
Students per teacher
14.3
MD 14.5
Schools in town
7
4,013 students on the public path
In brief

Bel Air’s schools, in brief

Better than its incomes would predict

Among the 149 Maryland towns with household incomes within a quarter of Bel Air’s, its schools beat 83%, higher than their 64% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Above the state on both counts

Reading proficiency is 50% and math 27% in spring 2022, against 45% and 25% statewide; 91% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 86%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $17,479 per student, against $20,258 across Maryland (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Two elementary schools, then one middle and one high school

Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 6 the district’s path is Bel Air Middle, then Bel Air High. See the path ↓

Choice beyond the district

John Carroll School (private), St. Margaret School (private) and Harford Day School (private) are in town. Every school ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Bel Air’s grade

B Test scoresB− Graduation

B: better than 64% of Maryland school districts, #93 of 261 Maryland towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the Maryland average; test scores are the stronger of the two.

Maryland school districts we grade (25)Better than 64%
Lower resultsHigher results
Maryland towns with similar household incomes (149)Better than 83%
BB+A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 19,220 test results and a graduating class of 2,716 could put Bel Air anywhere from B to B+. The tests are from spring 2022, when 97% of Bel Air’s students in the tested grades sat them (19,005 in math, 19,434 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Bel Air, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–52 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressB+ to A−
6–8Bel Air MiddleHarford County Public SchoolsB+
9–12Bel Air HighHarford County Public SchoolsA+

Bel Air’s public schools are run by Harford County Public Schools, which also serves Aberdeen and Havre de Grace. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Harford County Public SchoolsGrades PK–12 · 55 schools · 37,771 students, up 1% since 2020–21 · 14.3 per teacher (MD 14.5)
$17,479MD $20,258 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2021–22

Above the state in reading

Reading50%
State average 45.1% · 19434 students tested
Math27%
State average 24.6% · 19005 students tested

Bel Air vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Maryland towns that share Bel Air’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
Bel AirBHarford County

Every school in Bel Air

7 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Maryland’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Bel Airby address
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5
B+
1,071 students17:1Rate it →
Bel Air Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5
A−
521 students16:1Rate it →
Bel Air Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8
B+
1,080 students14:1Rate it →
Bel Air High
High · Grades 9–12
A+
1,341 students16:1Rate it →
Private schoolstuition; no state tests, so no grade
John Carroll School
High · Grades 9–12
Private · Catholic
734 students11:1Rate it →
St. Margaret School
Elementary · Grades K–8
Private · Catholic
596 students15:1Rate it →
Harford Day School
Elementary · Grades PK–8
Private · Nonsectarian
309 students8:1Rate it →

Questions about Bel Air’s schools

Are Bel Air’s schools good?

They sit near the middle of Maryland: the public schools Bel Air children attend outscore 64% of Maryland’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade, #93 of 261 Maryland towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 83%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Bel Air in?

Harford County Public Schools, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 37,771 students in 55 schools (2024–25).

Where do Bel Air kids go to high school?

Bel Air High, with 1,341 students; its own test results earn an A+.

What is Bel Air’s graduation rate?

91% of the class of 2023 in Harford County Public Schools graduated in four years, against 86% across Maryland.

How much does Bel Air spend per student?

$17,479 in Harford County Public Schools (FY2024), against $20,258 across Maryland. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Are there private schools in Bel Air?

Yes: John Carroll School (Catholic, grades 9–12, 734 students), St. Margaret School (Catholic, grades K–8, 596 students) and Harford Day School (nonsectarian, grades PK–8, 309 students).

Parents talk

What Bel Air families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Bel Air → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Maryland. Stars are from neighbors.