The Maryland Blue Ribbon Award
The Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools award is the highest honor bestowed upon schools by the Maryland State Department of Education. The Maryland State Blue Ribbon Schools award program was reinstated in 2025 to replace the U.S. Department of Education’s long-running national program, which was discontinued. The award recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools that fall in either or both of the two performance award categories: Exemplary High Performing or Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing. The Exemplary High Performing criteria includes at least a top 15% score in math and reading on Maryland State assessments.
