Best Public Schools in Bethesda, MD

Summary:

The city of Bethesda, Maryland is home to a high-performing school district, with 17 schools serving students from elementary through high school. The schools in this area demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, with several standout institutions ranking among the top in the state of Maryland.

Among the top-performing schools in Bethesda are Walter Johnson High School, ranked 15th out of 146 Maryland high schools, and Walt Whitman High School, ranked 7th in the state. These high schools boast impressive proficiency rates in both math and English Language Arts, with Walt Whitman High School leading the way with 27.5% and 86% proficiency, respectively. At the middle school level, Thomas W. Pyle Middle School stands out, ranking 2nd out of 328 Maryland middle schools and achieving exceptional proficiency rates of 66.6% in math and 85.8% in English Language Arts.

The elementary schools in Bethesda also demonstrate remarkable academic performance, with Westbrook Elementary School and Bradley Hills Elementary School ranking 18th and 8th out of 859 Maryland elementary schools, respectively. These schools boast proficiency rates exceeding 80% in both math and English Language Arts. The schools in Bethesda serve a diverse student population and are part of the highly-rated Montgomery County Public Schools district, which is ranked 7th out of 25 districts in the state.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAP Mathematics (2024)							MCAP English Language Arts (2024)								MCAP Algebra I (2024)	MCAP Geometry (2024)	MCAP Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bannockburn Elementary	Public	K-5	6520 Dalroy Ln	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1270	424	25	17.0	4.2%	258 (60.8%)	27 (6.4%)	40 (9.4%)	69 (16.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.1%)	98.3	4^th of 859 public elementary schools	99.5%		98	10^th of 855 public elementary schools	98.8%	6	80.0	83.5	78.7				81.1	87.3	92.6	83.1					88.4			59.0		$15,584	$919	$14,665
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High	Public	9-12	4301 East-West Hwy	Bethesda	20814	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-0400	2,369	137	17.3	20.8%	1,158 (48.9%)	393 (16.6%)	497 (21.0%)	159 (6.7%)	7 (0.3%)	1 (0.0%)	138 (5.8%)	62.2	26^th of 146 public high schools	82.2%		57.8	34^th of 127 public high schools	73.2%	8							7.3							67.7	67.7	7.3				$15,482	$814	$14,668
Bethesda Elementary	Public	K-5	7600 Arlington Rd	Bethesda	20814	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 204-5300	584	40	14.5	22.3%	229 (39.2%)	83 (14.2%)	88 (15.1%)	140 (24.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.5%)	93.3	53^rd of 859 public elementary schools	93.8%		94.1	46^th of 855 public elementary schools	94.6%	7	72.9	64.5	59.8				65.9	77.5	81.4	71.1					77.0			46.5		$16,690	$958	$15,731
Bradley Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	8701 Hartsdale Ave	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 204-5210	466	28	16.7	1.7%	307 (65.9%)	14 (3.0%)	34 (7.3%)	65 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (9.9%)	98.1	8^th of 859 public elementary schools	99.1%		98.7	3^rd of 855 public elementary schools	99.6%	5	78.5	87.8	74.3				80.1	82.4	95.8	84.9					87.2			63.5		$15,781	$838	$14,943
Burning Tree Elementary	Public	K-5	7900 Beech Tree Rd	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1750	484	32	15.2	6.6%	253 (52.3%)	37 (7.6%)	53 (11.0%)	104 (21.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.6%)	90	80^th of 859 public elementary schools	90.7%		91.1	72^nd of 855 public elementary schools	91.6%	8	81.3	61.9	62.2				68.1	81.6	67.1	58.1					68.5			46.1		$21,014	$1,186	$19,829
Westbrook Elementary	Public	K-5	5110 Allan Ter	Bethesda	20816	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1040	513	33	15.6	11.5%	303 (59.1%)	36 (7.0%)	84 (16.4%)	56 (10.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (6.2%)	97.2	18^th of 859 public elementary schools	97.9%		96.7	22^nd of 855 public elementary schools	97.4%	4	76.4	76.4	70.1				74.2	82.0	86.4	79.4					82.5			61.1		$17,029	$1,088	$15,941
Westland Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	5511 Massachusetts Ave	Bethesda	20816	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-5850	865	57	15.1	14.1%	446 (51.6%)	96 (11.1%)	161 (18.6%)	97 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (7.4%)	91.2	20^th of 328 public middle schools	93.9%		88.5	26^th of 322 public middle schools	91.9%	6				55.8	30.4	11.0	50.6				78.3	75.5	72.9		75.5	65.0	69.8		52.4	$17,760	$746	$17,014
Wood Acres Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5800 Cromwell Drive	Bethesda	20816	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1120	612	36	16.8	7.2%	390 (63.7%)	30 (4.9%)	79 (12.9%)	70 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (6.9%)	94.6	42^nd of 859 public elementary schools	95.1%		94.7	38^th of 855 public elementary schools	95.6%	4	89.1	64.2	68.2				73.5	83.8	75.7	71.7					76.9			48.6		$15,867	$1,103	$14,764
Walt Whitman High	Public	9-12	7100 Whittier Blvd	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-4800	2,042	118	17.3	6.3%	1,205 (59.0%)	96 (4.7%)	252 (12.3%)	310 (15.2%)	2 (0.1%)	5 (0.2%)	166 (8.1%)	81	7^th of 146 public high schools	95.2%		82.5	3^rd of 127 public high schools	97.6%	4							27.5							86.0	86.0	27.5				$16,890	$838	$16,052
Wyngate Elementary	Public	K-5	9300 Wadsworth Dr	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1080	679	39	17.5	4.7%	383 (56.4%)	37 (5.4%)	88 (13.0%)	90 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (11.9%)	97.5	13^th of 859 public elementary schools	98.5%		95.9	30^th of 855 public elementary schools	96.5%	17	86.1	77.8	69.6				77.2	87.9	82.5	82.8					84.2			54.8		$13,996	$1,045	$12,951
North Bethesda Middle	Public	6-8	8935 Bradmoor Dr	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-2100	1,163	70	16.5	13.4%	579 (49.8%)	157 (13.5%)	186 (16.0%)	145 (12.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (8.1%)	90.8	22^nd of 328 public middle schools	93.3%		88.1	28^th of 322 public middle schools	91.3%	6				47.0	23.3		48.7				70.2	75.5	76.5		74.1	71.4	72.2		52.7	$16,531	$780	$15,751
Thomas W. Pyle Middle	Public	6-8	6311 Wilson Lane	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-3500	1,260	76	16.5	5.2%	713 (56.6%)	60 (4.8%)	169 (13.4%)	193 (15.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	122 (9.7%)	98	2^nd of 328 public middle schools	99.4%		97.6	2^nd of 322 public middle schools	99.4%					65.2	51.3	21.8	66.6				84.1	86.3	86.9		85.8	75.6	95.8		60.8	$17,326	$904	$16,422
Walter Johnson High	Public	9-12	6400 Rock Spring Dr	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-6900	2,984	159	18.7	18.2%	1,400 (46.9%)	437 (14.6%)	555 (18.6%)	371 (12.4%)	7 (0.2%)	4 (0.1%)	197 (6.6%)	69.5	15^th of 146 public high schools	89.7%		67.5	18^th of 127 public high schools	85.8%	3							11.9							75.4	75.4	11.9				$15,547	$857	$14,689
Ashburton Elementary	Public	K-5	6314 Lone Oak Dr	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1300	821	49	16.6	18.3%	292 (35.6%)	148 (18.0%)	145 (17.7%)	159 (19.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (9.1%)	83.3	140^th of 859 public elementary schools	83.7%		80	162^nd of 855 public elementary schools	81.1%	22	66.4	52.5	57.9				58.4	61.6	68.8	60.4					63.7			36.1		$15,390	$998	$14,392
Woodlin Elementary	Public	K-5	5701 Grosvenor Ln	Bethesda	20814	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-7350	597	42	14.1	37.4%	202 (33.8%)	159 (26.6%)	138 (23.1%)	49 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (8.2%)	72.3	223^rd of 859 public elementary schools	74.0%		66.8	262^nd of 855 public elementary schools	69.4%	39	65.7	35.5	40.5				49.8	63.9	55.2	52.1					57.9			32.0		$17,597	$1,033	$16,564
Carderock Springs Elementary	Public	K-5	7401 Persimmon Tree Lane	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-0540	333	25	13.5	5.7%	187 (56.2%)	20 (6.0%)	39 (11.7%)	47 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	38 (11.4%)	97.4	14^th of 859 public elementary schools	98.4%		98.5	4^th of 855 public elementary schools	99.5%	10	80.0	82.7	68.6				77.3	83.3	92.3	88.0					87.7			51.0		$19,145	$792	$18,353
Seven Locks Elementary	Public	K-5	9500 Seven Locks Road	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-0940	372	25	14.7	5.9%	198 (53.2%)	35 (9.4%)	35 (9.4%)	80 (21.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.9%)	98.2	6^th of 859 public elementary schools	99.3%		97.7	14^th of 855 public elementary schools	98.4%	8	86.2	77.8	75.8				79.9	81.5	95.1	86.4					87.6			59.1		$16,438	$693	$15,745

Cities Near Bethesda

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Chevy Chase	0.85 mi	4	25^th
Kensington	2.87 mi	7	84^th
Silver Spring	3.32 mi	55	170^th
Rockville	4.57 mi	34	75^th
Takoma Park	4.74 mi	4	211^th

See the top MD Maryland cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.