About FCPS and Fast Facts

The Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) mission is to inspire, innovate & motivate. FCPS serves almost 48,000 students and 280,000 residents in twelve municipalities spread across 667 square miles. FCPS provides a diverse and inclusive learning environment, where excellence in college and career preparedness are paramount. The commitment to our community is to provide exceptional education and equity for "every child, every day".

Frederick County students consistently outpace their state and national peers in academic achievement measures. Students in our class of 2023 received $92.5 million in scholarship offers*. FCPS’s Class of 2023 graduation rate was 93.1% (compared to Maryland's 85.8% average), while our dropout rate was 3.3% (compared with the state's 9.8% average). We balance top-rate academics with the personal care and individual attention you would expect in a small-town community. Frederick County's investment in public education is an investment in our future. Our operating budget for FY2024 budget of $910,180,476 with nearly 46% of our funding coming from the local county government. * All scholarship data is self-reported

`Together, FCPS and our community are working to realize the increased academic achievement of ALL students, closing the gap between the highest and lowest performing students while providing an equitable learning environment for all.

Frederick County Public Schools Fast Facts Infographic

Data for number of schools, student numbers and demographics, and benefitted staffing totals.

Notable Numbers

  • FCPS achievements exceed Maryland averages with scores that consistently surpass national averages on the College Board SAT. Returning to pre-pandemic participation levels, our mean 2023 SAT score was 1016, compared to Maryland public schools at 991 and US public schools at 1003.
  • On a 1-5 star scale, 65% of our 63 state-rated schools achieved 4 or 5 stars (2022-2023). Across Maryland, only 38% of schools earned 4 stars or 5 stars.
  • FCPS’s Class of 2023 graduation rate was a high 93.1% (compared to Maryland's 85.8% average), while our dropout rate was 3.3% (compared with the state's 9.8%).
  • Students in our class of 2023 received $92.5 million in scholarship offers1* [Not all were accepted, as some students received more than one offer.]

*All scholarship data is self-reported

Students & Staff

  • September 30, 2023 enrollment was almost 48,000 students.
  • Based on official September 30, 2023 enrollment data, the FCPS student demographics are: 49% White; 21.1% Hispanic/Latino; 14.5% Black or African American; 7.8% Asian; 7.2% Multiracial; less than 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native and Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian.
  • In the 2023-2024 school year, over 15,000 students (32.4%) are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, about 5,600 (11.7%) receive Special Education services, and English is not the primary language for over 3,600 (7.7%).
  • Of over 7,000 employees, more than 3,000 are teachers, over 1,400 work in Special Education, more than 200 are counselors or psychologists and over 400 are paraprofessionals. The remainder are bus drivers, food service workers, custodians, media specialists, office staff and other central office support and administrative staff.