Maryland's top high schools for athletes in 2026 revealed

Thanks to legends like Cal Ripken Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael Phelps, and Katie Ledecky, Maryland's athletic prestige can’t be overlooked, especially at the high school level.

Which high schools in Maryland are considered the best for athletes today?

According to a study conducted by Niche, which accounts for survey feedback from students and parents—accounting for "reviews of athletics, number of state championships, student participation in athletics, and the number of sports offered at the school"—and data from the U.S. Department of Education, these are the top 25.

25. Linganore High School (Frederick)

• Total number of sports: 19

24. Atholton High School (Columbia)

• Total number of sports: 22

23. C. Milton Wright High School

• Total number of sports: 20

22. Boonsboro High School

• Total number of sports: 17

21. Frederick Douglass High School (Upper Marlboro)

• Total number of sports: 12

20. Charles Herbert Flowers High School (Springdale)

• Total number of sports: 12

19. Patterson Mills High School (Bel Air)

• Total number of sports: 22

18. Largo High School (Upper Marlboro)

• Total number of sports: 18

17. Mount Saint Joseph High School (Baltimore)

• Total number of sports: 17

16. Northwest High School (Germantown)

• Total number of sports: 23

15. Walter Johnson High School

• Total number of sports: 17

14. Patterson Mill High School (Bel Air)

• Total number of sports: 24

13. Howard High School (Ellicott City)

• Total number of sports: 22

14. Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School (Upper Marlboro)

• Total number of sports: 12

13. Baltimore City College

• Total number of sports: 13

12. Calvert Hall College High School (Baltimore)

• Total number of sports: 17

11. DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville)

• Total number of sports: 13

10. Havre de Grace High School

• Total number of sports: 16

9. Stephen Decatur High School (Berlin)

• Total number of sports: 13

8. Kent Island High School (Stevensville)

• Total number of sports: 24

7. Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Baltimore)

• Total number of sports: 14

6. River Hill High School (Clarksville)

• Total number of sports: 22

5. Oakdale High School (Ijamsville)

• Total number of sports: 19

4. Fallston High School

• Total number of sports: 15

3. Damascus High School

• Total number of sports: 16

2. Quince Orchard High School (Gathersburg)

• Total number of sports: 16

1. McDonogh School (Owings Mills)

• Total number of sports: 31