Recently, the Pittsburgh-based website Niche rated all the high schools across Maryland. In the number six spot was Richard Montgomery High School.

Also on the list were seven other high schools in Montgomery County, with Poolesville High School considered the best high school in Maryland, Walter Johnson in second, and Walt Whitman at number three.

The list was based on many factors, including state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, diversity, and high school ratings.

“I think there are two reasons that RM is qualified for this rating. One is that we continue to offer rigorous, challenging courses through magnet programs and the fact that we maximize all the students to be as prepared as possible,” RM principal Damon Monteleone said.

US News reports that RM has a 95% proficiency rate in math and a 94% proficiency rate in English. The proficiency levels were based on standards set by the state of Maryland. In comparison, the state overall has an 80% proficiency rate for both math and English .

“I think it’s the reflection of the programs we have here — the students we have as well. A lot is based on the number of students that take AP and IB classes,” Mr. Monteleone said. “Another reason would be the application process, about 20-30% of our students for the magnet program. But the quality of the feeder school –with Julius West especially — all good students.”

On another list by Niche regarding college readiness, RM ranks number nine. RM also consistently scores high on teacher quality and overall graduation rates compared to the rest of Maryland.

Many students were already aware that RM excelled in terms of academics. “I believe that this is a great school and I’m not that surprised. There are lots of opportunities here, lots of clubs and things to keep the students interested.” junior Samuel Ferguson said.

“We live near D.C. so there’s lots of well educated people and good jobs in the area. Due to that I think parents can more likely encourage students and help them when needed.” Ferguson added. “I do think a big part of our place in this ranking could be because of the IB kids, so they definitely could have helped our ranking because they do well and take more rigorous classes.”

An important parameter used in the rating was culture and diversity. “The thing that I am most proud of is the way the students interact in this school. We are very diverse but very tolerant of each other,” Mr. Monteleone said. RM’s diverse body of students is a factor that makes the school stand out.

“I hear about Mr. Monteleone saying many times about how diverse the school really is,” sophomore Allen Hewitt said, “I do think that culture and diversity really helped us a lot in the rating.”

Hewitt also explained why he believes most of the schools on the top ten list were from Montgomery County. “I think that overall we are an affluent county, and usually the more well off a place is the better the education because schools can invest in better equipment and teaching materials” he said.

Especially at RM, students have ample resources that allow them to learn. “I think that one of the great things of this school are the opportunities — access to classes that results in success in high school courses” Mr. Monteleone noted.

Even on the national rankings, RM is rated at 260, out of over 26,000 high schools in the country. “A way to improve our school would be to disaggregate the data. Dig deeper- look at individual groups of students.” Mr. Monteleone said.

Whatever the reason for RM’s high position in Niche’s rating, they show that Richard Montgomery, as well as other schools in Montgomery County, provide a strong education that gives students the resources they need to succeed.