Choosing the right elementary school is one of the most important decisions a parent can make — and families living in Bethesda, Maryland, have a number of strong options. To help narrow the search, online ranking platform Niche evaluates schools using a blend of hard data, research and real feedback from parents and educators. Beyond academics and teaching quality, their grades reflect broader aspects of student life, from extracurricular activities and sports to diversity and college preparation.
This guide focuses on elementary schools in Bethesda, which is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) district, along with select private institutions, all of which have earned Niche grades between A- and A+. Bethesda is home to some of the highest rated public elementary schools in Maryland, of which there were 783 as of 2023. When it comes to private elementary schools, sources provide different total counts, as there isn’t a standard criterion for categorization.
Proficiency scores noted for each school come from state assessments in math and reading (language arts) and represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations. Student-teacher ratios are also crucial in understanding the efficacy of school, as lower ratios mean less crowding and more opportunities for focusing on individual students. Niche also applies grades to separate metrics, including academics, teachers and diversity.
Westbrook Elementary School
Bethesda is home to the No. 1 public elementary school in Maryland, according to Niche. It has fantastic proficiency scores of 82% in math and 87% in reading.
Type: Public
Grades Offered: K-5
Niche Grade: A
Seven Locks Elementary School
Seven Locks is the third best public elementary school in Maryland. It has strong proficiency scores of 75% in math and 89% in reading. The student-teacher ratio matches the national average.
Type: Public
Grades Offered: K-5
Niche Grade: A
Carderock Springs Elementary School
Carderock Springs is Maryland’s sixth best public elementary school. The 13:1 student-teacher ratio is better than the national average (~15:1), and the close proficiency scores of 77% and 82% in math and reading, respectively, are very solid.
Type: Public
Grades Offered: K-5
Niche Grade: A
Burning Tree Elementary School
Burning Tree Elementary features an A+ in teachers, and makes the top 10 best public elementary schools. As the ninth best public elementary school in Maryland, 67% of students are proficient in math and 78% are proficient in reading.
Type: Public
Grades Offered: K-5
Niche Grade: A
Wyngate Elementary School
Wyngate Elementary is No. 17 in Maryland with 72% of students proficient or better in math and 81% proficient or better in reading.
Type: Public
Grades Offered: K-5
Niche Grade: A
Sidwell Friends Lower School
Sidwell Friends Lower School in Bethesda shares the prestige of the upper campus in Washington, DC. Niche awards it high marks for academics, teachers and more. Students benefit from a low student-teacher ratio.
Type: Private
Grades Offered: Pre-K, K-5
Niche Grade: A+
Norwood School
Norwood School is a well-regarded private school in Bethesda. Students are given plenty of individual attention with a student-teacher ratio of 6:1.
Type: Private
Grades Offered: Pre-K, K-8
Niche Grade: A
Related
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Seth Hagler is a freelance writer and an intern with Washington Parent. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Writing from Johns Hopkins University.
Seth Hagler is a freelance writer and an intern with Washington Parent. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Writing from Johns Hopkins University.
