Admissions - McDonogh School
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Admissions

Join our community

Welcome to McDonogh, a joyful community built on close relationships and trust.

Children educated at McDonogh emerge as young men and women of character who are exceptional communicators and who honor diversity in all its forms. Both independently and with others, our students learn to pose their own questions and grapple with complex problems creatively. We believe that preparing children to be “life ready” is the ultimate objective of each student’s experience at McDonogh.

We encourage you to come visit our campus and meet the people who make McDonogh a vibrant place to learn and grow. We look forward to seeing you.

Steve Birdsall
Director of Enrollment Management

Title

15

average years of faculty experience 

5.9

million given in need-based financial aid

100

upper school students participate in the five-day boarding program

Fast Facts

McDonogh is a welcoming community where young people become LifeReady under the guidance of talented and caring teachers. Opportunities abound for deep thinking, innovating, discovering passions, and helping others. In all endeavors, students and adults are guided by the virtues on McDonogh’s Character Compass: respect, responsibility, honesty, kindness, and service. There is a lot to learn about McDonogh School, but here are some quick facts:

School

  • McDonogh is a nondenominational, coeducational, college preparatory school educating students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade.
  • Lower School comprises prekindergarten through fourth grade, Middle School is fifth through eighth grade, and Upper School is ninth through twelfth grade.
  • Our curriculum is appropriately challenging at all grade levels, preparing students for higher education and to enter the world as resilient, lifelong learners of strong character.
  • Class size is determined by subject matter and grade level, with an average of 16 students per class. The Upper School's extensive curriculum results in smaller class sizes. 
  • Our college counselors work with students to determine which colleges are right for their individual interests, personalities, and goals. Many students are accepted by the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country. See where the Class of 2018 is headed.
  • McDonogh has been named a "Top Workplace" in the Baltimore Sun's Top Workplace Program for six consecutive years. 

Enrollment

  • McDonogh enrolls 1,398 students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade.
  • McDonogh's student body represents a wide range of racial, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, and geographic backgrounds.
  • Approximately 100 Upper School students live on campus during the week as part of the school's five-day boarding program.

Faculty and Administration

  • David J. Farace '87 became McDonogh's 13th Head of School on July 1, 2018.
  • McDonogh employs the equivalent of 190 full-time faculty members, and more than 50 faculty and staff families live on campus and are involved in our vibrant residential life program.
  • More than 67% of faculty hold advanced degrees, and the average teaching tenure is 14.9 years.
  • The student-teacher ratio is 7:1.

Campus and Facilities

  • Founded in 1873 as a farm school for poor boys, McDonogh School is situated on 800 pastoral acres in suburban Owings Mills.
  • The campus is located 20 minutes from downtown Baltimore and 50 minutes from Washington, D.C.
  • The campus serves as a classroom in the “great outdoors,” inviting students to experience the woods, fields, ponds, and streams.
  • Roots, a six-acre campus farm, offers students hands-on experiences such as planting and harvesting produce for our dining hall and area food pantries.
  • Learning is enhanced with top-notch facilities, including an innovation center, STEM building, two theatres, an art gallery, a riding hall, an Olympic-sized pool, and numerous playing fields and tennis courts.

Tuition and Financial Aid

  • 2018-2019 Tuition (including bus transportation and hot lunch) is:
    • Prekindergarten: $16,710
    • Kindergarten and Prefirst: $26,040
    • Lower School (grades 1-4): $27,610 
    • Middle School (grades 5-8): $29,310 
    • Upper School (grades 9-12): $30,720
    • Upper School Five-Day Boarding: $41,080
  • $5.9 million in need-based scholarship was given to students for the 2018-2019 academic year. The average award was $19,600.

Transportation

  • McDonogh operates a fleet of 27 buses with community stops in four counties (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, and Howard) and Baltimore City.
  • Bus service is included in tuition, and all day-students are assigned a bus stop and pick-up time.
  • Students in prekindergarten and those who are new to kindergarten, prefirst, and first grade are paired with a Bus Buddy, an older student who helps the younger student adjust to riding the bus.

Lunch

  • Lunch is included in tuition, so families never have to pack a lunch, purchase a meal card, or send lunch money.
  • There are plenty of appealing and nutritious choices in the dining hall's selection of hot entrees, salad bar, and sandwich stations.
  • The dining hall offers breakfast and dinner for boarding students.

Residential Life

  • The five-day boarding program allows Upper School students to live on campus during the school week and return home to spend time with their families over the weekend. 
  • Approximately 100 students participate in the boarding program, which gives them more opportunities to be involved in campus life. 
  • Girls live in Jane Bay Hall and boys live in Lillian Rollins Hall. 

Aftercare

  • AfterCare is available to children in the Lower School at an additional cost.
  • AfterCare operates on regular school days, Monday through Thursday from 3:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Friday from 3:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Dress Code

  • McDonogh's dress code reflects our belief that children should dress appropriately for the task of learning and in a way that eliminates competitiveness.
  • Lower and Middle School students wear polo shirts and khaki pants and skirts. Upper School students wear oxford shirts and khaki pants, and skorts.
  • New uniforms may be ordered through the School Store located in the basement of Allan Building. Gently-used uniforms are available through the McDonogh Parents Association.

Accreditation

  • McDonogh is accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland Schools.

Important Dates

Mark Your Calendar

Tuition and Financial Aid

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We love that a McDonogh education is about developing the student's fullest potential both inside and outside the classroom.

Shawn and Walter Radek P '20