Wilde Lake High

Q: Is Wilde Lake High a good school?

Wilde Lake High ranks 98 th of 146 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Wilde Lake High is a public high school located in Columbia, Maryland, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,341 students. The school is part of the Howard County Public Schools district, which is ranked 2nd out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Wilde Lake High has a significantly higher percentage of African American (43.92%) and Hispanic (16.78%) students compared to the nearby schools, which tend to have a higher percentage of White and Asian students. The school consistently underperforms compared to the nearby schools and the state averages in standardized test scores, particularly in mathematics. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 5.8% of Wilde Lake High students were proficient or better in MCAP/Mathematics, compared to 41.1% in the Howard County Public Schools district and 24.1% statewide. Wilde Lake High also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (44.3% in 2022-2023) compared to the nearby schools, which range from 7.51% to 41.72%.

Wilde Lake High has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Maryland high schools, with a ranking of 98 out of 146 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The data suggests that there are significant racial disparities in academic performance at the school, with Wilde Lake High ranking 36 out of 40 Maryland high schools for White students in the 2020-2021 school year. Despite spending more per student ($16,248 in 2020-2021) compared to the nearby schools, which range from $13,300 to $16,934 per student, the higher spending does not seem to translate into better academic outcomes for the students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

5460 Trumpeter Rd
Columbia, MD 21044

(410) 313-6965

District: Howard County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
98^th of 146 Maryland High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,604

Feeder schools for Wilde Lake High:

Elementary:	Bryant Woods Elementary
	Longfellow Elementary
	Running Brook Elementary
Middle:	Harpers Choice Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 1,270

Racial breakdown:

African American:

44.2%

White:

22.6%

Hispanic:

17.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.3%

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Compare Wilde Lake High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Wilde Lake High ranks worse than 67.1% of high schools in Maryland. It also ranks 10^th among 13 ranked high schools in the Howard County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.65. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Wilde Lake High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Wilde Lake High is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (44.2%), White (22.6%), Hispanic (17.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Wilde Lake High is 12.9, which is the 4^th best among 13 high schools in the Howard County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Wilde Lake High employs 97.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wilde Lake High is $19,604, which is the highest among 14 high schools in the Howard County Public Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Wilde Lake High was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Wilde Lake High 98^th of 146 Maryland public high schools. (See Wilde Lake High in the ranking list.)

Howard County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Howard County Public Schools 2^nd of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Wilde Lake High

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Rank History for all students at Wilde Lake High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	49.77	75^th	201	62.7%
2005	61.83	59^th	204	71.1%
2006	56.30	90^th	204	55.9%
2007	69.54	52^nd	209	75.1%
2008	78.83	33^rd	214	84.6%
2009	76.86	45^th	213	78.9%
2010	73.61	66^th	220	70.0%
2011	52.58	103^rd	183	43.7%
2012	54.70	107^th	187	42.8%
2013	57.44	98^th	185	47.0%
2014	65.10	119^th	231	48.5%
2015	48.56	126^th	233	45.9%
2016	55.04	97^th	233	58.4%
2017	40.80	96^th	180	46.7%
2018	29.88	124^th	197	37.1%
2019	35.09	96^th	138	30.4%
2022	34.37	131^st	225	41.8%
2023	35.10	100^th	127	21.3%
2024	36.65	98^th	146	32.9%

See the entire list of Maryland High School Rankings!

Rank History for White students at Wilde Lake High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	19.44	36^th	40	10.0%

See the entire list of Best Maryland High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maryland State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a student
Monday, January 24, 2022

Wilde Lake has great diversity and inclusion. The sports and music programs are great and the teachers are mostly good too. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Wilde Lake High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	609	228	50	10	1	n/a	n/a	5	903
1990	569	234	48	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	867
1991	485	257	57	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	811
1992	489	266	73	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	847
1993	455	283	63	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	822
1994	461	306	55	25	1	n/a	n/a	0	848
1995	685	398	112	33	0	n/a	n/a	0	1228
1996	685	398	112	33	0	n/a	n/a	0	1228
1997	770	430	109	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	1342
1998	826	438	125	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	1418
1999	831	482	110	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	1452
2000	816	456	110	29	3	n/a	n/a	0	1414
2001	833	492	115	35	5	n/a	n/a	0	1480
2002	785	511	130	60	3	n/a	n/a	0	1489
2003	785	511	130	60	3	n/a	n/a	0	1489
2004	742	500	126	66	6	n/a	n/a	0	1440
2005	693	496	122	75	6	n/a	n/a	0	1392
2006	670	534	130	95	5	n/a	n/a	0	1434
2007	625	509	135	98	6	n/a	n/a	0	1373
2008	594	524	142	87	4	n/a	n/a	0	1351
2009	583	545	143	93	6	n/a	n/a	0	1370
2010	520	599	119	91	6	n/a	n/a	0	1335
2011	473	534	90	122	4	3	98	0	1324
2012	462	492	87	134	3	2	97	0	1277
2013	425	513	92	143	1	2	95	0	1271
2014	381	522	94	146	1	2	96	0	1242
2015	359	527	94	155	1	3	95	0	1234
2016	331	558	88	157	2	5	95	0	1236
2017	333	557	92	143	0	4	96	0	1225
2018	339	558	92	186	0	5	94	0	1274
2019	328	594	98	170	0	2	99	0	1291
2020	337	630	110	175	3	2	94	0	1351
2021	328	654	100	187	3	2	105	0	1379
2022	316	628	94	212	4	3	99	4	1360
2023	317	589	94	225	6	4	97	9	1341
2024	287	561	82	217	3	2	109	9	1270

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Wilde Lake High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	903	47.1	19.1	n/a
1990	867	50.6	17.1	2
1991	811	52.6	15.4	2.6
1992	847	49.7	17.0	4.1
1993	822	49.3	16.7	4.3
1994	848	49.1	17.3	8.1
1995	1228	68.9	17.8	10.4
1996	1228	68.9	17.8	10.4
1997	1342	73.7	18.2	11.7
1998	1418	79.0	17.9	12.1
1999	1452	79.0	18.4	15.6
2000	1414	80.6	17.5	13.8
2001	1480	80.6	18.4	13.4
2002	1489	91.6	16.3	17.9
2003	1489	91.6	16.3	17.9
2004	1440	95.1	15.1	19.8
2005	1392	93.0	15.0	23.3
2006	1434	100.0	14.3	19.8
2007	1373	101.6	13.5	18.8
2008	1351	100.6	13.4	19.1
2009	1370	106.5	12.9	20.2
2010	1335	98.2	13.5	24.2
2011	1324	101.6	13.0	26.4
2012	1277	98.8	12.9	27.7
2013	1271	101.3	12.5	29.3
2014	1242	101.0	12.2	31.6
2015	1234	97.0	12.7	35.5
2016	1236	94.0	13.1	39.1
2017	1225	98.0	12.5	35.3
2018	1274	98.0	13.0	33.2
2019	1291	101.0	12.7	33.1
2020	1351	105.0	12.8	35
2021	1379	100.5	13.7	36.4
2022	1360	99.2	13.7	35.7
2023	1341	98.4	13.6	44.3
2024	1270	97.8	12.9	42.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Wilde Lake High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	903	47.1	19.1	n/a
1990	867	50.6	17.1	2
1991	811	52.6	15.4	2.6
1992	847	49.7	17.0	4.1
1993	822	49.3	16.7	4.3
1994	848	49.1	17.3	8.1
1995	1228	68.9	17.8	10.4
1996	1228	68.9	17.8	10.4
1997	1342	73.7	18.2	11.7
1998	1418	79.0	17.9	12.1
1999	1452	79.0	18.4	15.6
2000	1414	80.6	17.5	13.8
2001	1480	80.6	18.4	13.4
2002	1489	91.6	16.3	17.9
2003	1489	91.6	16.3	17.9
2004	1440	95.1	15.1	19.8
2005	1392	93.0	15.0	23.3
2006	1434	100.0	14.3	19.8
2007	1373	101.6	13.5	18.8
2008	1351	100.6	13.4	19.1
2009	1370	106.5	12.9	20.2
2010	1335	98.2	13.5	24.2
2011	1324	101.6	13.0	26.4
2012	1277	98.8	12.9	27.7
2013	1271	101.3	12.5	29.3
2014	1242	101.0	12.2	31.6
2015	1234	97.0	12.7	35.5
2016	1236	94.0	13.1	39.1
2017	1225	98.0	12.5	35.3
2018	1274	98.0	13.0	33.2
2019	1291	101.0	12.7	33.1
2020	1351	105.0	12.8	35
2021	1379	100.5	13.7	36.4
2022	1360	99.2	13.7	35.7
2023	1341	98.4	13.6	44.3
2024	1270	97.8	12.9	42.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Wilde Lake High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$530 (3.2%)	$15,994 (96.8%)	$16,524
2020	$529 (3.1%)	$16,405 (96.9%)	$16,934
2021	$725 (4.5%)	$15,524 (95.5%)	$16,248
2022	$1,045 (5.6%)	$17,636 (94.4%)	$18,681
2023	$808 (4.1%)	$18,797 (95.9%)	$19,604

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wilde Lake High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 96^th of 138 High schools	Ranks 100^th of 127 High schools	9.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1291	1341	3.9%
African American	594	589	0.8%
American Indian	0	6
Asian	98	94	4.1%
Hispanic	170	225	32.4%
Pacific Islander	2	4	100%
White	328	317	3.4%
Two or More Races	99	97	2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	33.1%	44.3%	11.2%

Schools Near Wilde Lake High

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 Algebra II (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 All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Algebra II End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wilde Lake High	Public	9-12	5460 Trumpeter Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6965	1,270	98	12.9	42.3%	287 (22.6%)	561 (44.2%)	217 (17.1%)	82 (6.5%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	109 (8.6%)	36.7	98^th of 146 public high schools	32.9%		35.1	100^th of 127 public high schools	21.3%	2	5.8	54.1	54.1		8.8	$19,604	$808	$18,797
Applications and Research Laboratory	Public	9-12	10920 Clarksville Pike	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6698	0	42	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Homewood School	Public	6-12	10914 Clarksville Pike	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7081	131	38	3.4	15.3%	41 (31.3%)	56 (42.7%)	17 (13.0%)	5 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.9%)	14.1	139^th of 146 public high schools	4.8%					(n/a)		30.8	25.6		5.3
Oakland Mills High	Public	9-12	9410 Kilimanjaro Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6945	1,422	108	13.1	44.7%	216 (15.2%)	629 (44.2%)	339 (23.8%)	118 (8.3%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	108 (7.6%)	32.9	114^th of 146 public high schools	21.9%		39.6	84^th of 127 public high schools	33.9%	30	6.7	52.0	52.0		8.0	$19,229	$876	$18,354
Atholton High	Public	9-12	6520 Freetown Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7065	1,498	94	15.9	24.0%	421 (28.1%)	470 (31.4%)	202 (13.5%)	276 (18.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	121 (8.1%)	44.9	73^rd of 146 public high schools	50.0%		49.6	58^th of 127 public high schools	54.3%	15	14.9	66.2	66.2	7.4	18.4	$17,727	$746	$16,982
Centennial High	Public	9-12	4300 Centennial Ln	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2856	1,364	86	15.8	17.8%	461 (33.8%)	169 (12.4%)	98 (7.2%)	569 (41.7%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	58 (4.3%)	77.4	10^th of 146 public high schools	93.2%		76.1	8^th of 127 public high schools	93.7%	2	43.3	86.0	86.0	20.5	52.6	$16,805	$794	$16,011
River Hill High	Public	9-12	12101 Clarksville Pike	Clarksville	21029	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7120	1,462	86	16.9	6.9%	527 (36.0%)	167 (11.4%)	74 (5.1%)	601 (41.1%)	6 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	82 (5.6%)	81.2	6^th of 146 public high schools	95.9%		83.4	2^nd of 127 public high schools	98.4%	4	46.3	85.9	85.9	28.3	51.6	$16,511	$786	$15,725
Howard High	Public	9-12	8700 Old Annapolis Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2867	1,529	101	15.2	19.6%	555 (36.3%)	365 (23.9%)	101 (6.6%)	394 (25.8%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	105 (6.9%)	58.7	35^th of 146 public high schools	76.0%		47	62^nd of 127 public high schools	51.2%	27	26.4	75.8	75.8	15.8	30.5	$17,408	$746	$16,662
Long Reach High	Public	9-12	6101 Old Dobbin Ln	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7117	1,448	114	12.6	37.2%	347 (24.0%)	416 (28.7%)	420 (29.0%)	174 (12.0%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	77 (5.3%)	36	100^th of 146 public high schools	31.5%		41.7	75^th of 127 public high schools	40.9%	25	9.7	63.3	63.3	5.9	11.9	$18,207	$771	$17,436
Hammond High	Public	9-12	8800 Guilford Rd	Columbia	21046	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7615	1,167	85	13.7	38.9%	249 (21.3%)	499 (42.8%)	197 (16.9%)	132 (11.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (7.5%)	39.5	91^st of 146 public high schools	37.7%		50.5	53^rd of 127 public high schools	58.3%	38	13.2	66.2	66.2	10.5	15.1	$18,815	$871	$17,944

Frequently Asked Questions about Wilde Lake High

What is the racial makeup of Wilde Lake High?

Students at Wilde Lake High are 44% African American, 23% White, 17% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

How many students attend Wilde Lake High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,270 students attended Wilde Lake High.

What district is Wilde Lake High in?

Howard County Public Schools

Is Wilde Lake High a good school?

Wilde Lake High ranks 98^th of 146 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Wilde Lake High?

Wilde Lake High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bryant Woods Elementary
Elementary : Longfellow Elementary
Elementary : Running Brook Elementary
Middle : Harpers Choice Middle

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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.