Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 77 schools in district

Wilde Lake High

5460 Trumpeter Rd, Columbia, MD 21044Howard County Public Schools →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 09–12Non-Charter
1,341
Students
Total enrolled
85%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
~avg
$20,893
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 46% vs nat'l
13.6 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 11% vs nat'l
47/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
~avg
⇄ Compare with another school
Large public school
Serves 1,341 students in grades 09–12 in Columbia, Maryland.
46% above average funding
District spends $20,893 per pupil, 46% more than the national average of $14,347.
Near-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 47th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Wilde Lake High is a very large high in Columbia, Maryland, serving grades 09–12 with 1,341 students. The district invests $20,893 per student — 46% above the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 13.6:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 44% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at Wilde Lake High

1,341
Total Students
13.6 : 1
Student:Teacher
44%
Free Lunch
98
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (09–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution700 male · 632 female
53%
47%
Male 53%Female 47%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility44%
National avg 52% · 594 students
Student Composition
24%
17%
44%
Asian7%
White24%
Hispanic / Latino17%
Black44%
Multiracial7%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 240042000762

Academic Outcomes at Wilde Lake High

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
85
Near avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
85%
State avg
90%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
47
/ 100
Near-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 47th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 67th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 21044

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$20,893Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$20,893
State avg
$28,238
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$9,193
Student Support$3,970
Administration$2,507
Operations$3,134
Other$2,089
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $20,893 spent per student, an estimated $9,256 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
30%
63%
State government
29.5%
Local (property tax)
62.7%
Federal programs
7.7%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 85% graduation rate — near the national average of 87%
  • Above-average funding — $20,893/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • 13.6:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Fulton ElementaryVeterans ElementaryWaverly ElementaryHanover Hills
+10 more
↓
Middle
Mount View MiddleThomas ViaductBurleigh Manor Middle SchoolPatuxent Valley Middle
+1 more
↓
High School
Reservoir HighHoward HighMarriotts Ridge HighLong Reach High
+7 more
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location—
CountyHoward County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictHoward County Public Schools →
Phone: (410)313-6965
NCES ID: 240042000762
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Columbia seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Howard County Public Schools
High
Reservoir High
1,837 students · 09–12
28% FRL
High
Howard High
1,741 students · 09–12
● 51 opp21% FRL
High
Marriotts Ridge High
1,716 students · 09–12
● 59 opp14% FRL
High
Long Reach High
1,714 students · 09–12
● 44 opp41% FRL
High
Mount Hebron High
1,621 students · 09–12
● 50 opp18% FRL
High
Atholton High
1,467 students · 09–12
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High
River Hill High
1,424 students · 09–12
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High
Oakland Mills High
1,401 students · 09–12
● 44 opp43% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
5460 Trumpeter Rd, Columbia, MD 21044
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.