Winston Churchill High School ranks second in Maryland among public high schools in Niche's 2027 rankings, released Thursday, Oct. 1. Thomas S. Wootton High School placed 16th.

The two Potomac-area schools were among nine Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in the statewide top 25. Eight MCPS high schools landed in the top 20, Montgomery Community Media reported, dominating a field of 251 Maryland public high schools ranked by Niche.

Poolesville High School claimed the No. 1 spot.

Niche, a school-evaluation firm, uses U.S. Department of Education data and millions of student and parent reviews to grade schools on academics, diversity, teacher quality, college prep, clubs, sports and facilities. One notable change this year: SAT and ACT scores were dropped from the formula to reflect the broader de-emphasis on standardized testing in college admissions.

Churchill earned A-plus marks in academics, teachers and college prep on its Niche profile. The school also received an A for diversity and clubs and activities. Churchill's profile notes more than 100 student clubs, spanning competitive coding, debate and DECA, alongside strong athletics programs.

Wootton scored an A in academics, diversity and teachers and an A-plus in college prep on its Niche profile. But the school received a C for resources and facilities. Parent and student reviewers on Niche said the building is in urgent need of renovation, noting it has not been significantly updated since its construction decades ago.

The MCPS Board of Education voted 7-1 in March 2026 to relocate Wootton's students and staff to the upcoming Crown High School building in Gaithersburg starting in fall 2027.

The full MCPS top-25 list, according to MoCo Show: Poolesville (No. 1), Churchill (No. 2), Walt Whitman (No. 5), Walter Johnson (No. 8), Bethesda-Chevy Chase (No. 9), Wootton (No. 16), Montgomery Blair (No. 18), Richard Montgomery (No. 19) and Northwest (No. 23).

Churchill also ranked No. 3 in Maryland on U.S. News & World Report's 2026-27 Best High Schools list, released in August 2026, according to Patch. The Montgomery County Planning Board's FY2027 Annual School Test, certified June 25, projects Churchill will be overutilized by the 2030-31 school year.

Niche founder and CEO Luke Skurman said in a news release that the 2027 rankings, which covered 93,000 public schools nationwide, aim to give families a more complete view of their school options. Niche's methodology page lists academics, college enrollment data, survey responses, diversity, teacher quality and facilities among the weighted factors.

Evidentiary hearings on the Wootton relocation are scheduled for Dec. 8-10.