Annapolis students attend the Anne Arundel County Public Schools, ranked in 2005 as the 41st largest school system in the United States and the 5th largest school system in Maryland. In addition to basic academic subjects, the school system offers classes in computer education, music, art, health, physical education, foreign languages, library media, and technology. It also boasts a special gifted and talented program.
The following is a summary of data regarding the Annapolis public school system as of the 2004–2005 school year.
Total enrollment: 75,000
Number of facilities
elementary schools: 77
middle schools/combined: 19
senior high schools: 12
other: 12
Student/teacher ratio: 16.6:1
Teacher salaries
minimum: $34,691
maximum: $73,525
Funding per pupil: $7,793 (2002-03)
The city is also served by two private schools and one parochial school.
Public Schools Information: Anne Arundel County Public Schools, 2644 Riva Rd., Annapolis, MD 21401; telephone (410)222-5000
Annapolis is home to St. John's College, the third oldest college in the nation. The co-educational, four-year liberal arts institution, with a 1:8 faculty-student ratio, has an enrollment of about 1,000, and offers bachelor and master of arts degrees. It has a second campus in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Rather than employing typical college classes and lectures, St. John's instructors teach primarily by way of seminars, tutorials, and laboratories. St. John's students follow a curriculum that is based on in-depth reading of the major works of European thought.
Annapolis is also served by the University of Maryland's University College, which provides undergraduate and graduate courses at its Annapolis Center. In addition, Anne Arundel Community College, a public two-year college, enrolls more than 14,400 students at its two campuses near Annapolis.
The United States Naval Academy in downtown Annapolis, founded in 1845, provides undergraduate education for the members of the U.S. Navy. On its more than 338-acre campus, the institution enrolls more than 4,000 students from every state and several foreign countries. The academy offers a core curriculum of required courses as well as a choice of 18 major fields of study. The Brigade of Midshipmen, as the student body is known, undergoes a rigorous academic program and intense physical training to prepare them for being commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps.
The Anne Arundel County Public Library, founded in 1921, has its headquarters in Annapolis. Its 15 countywide library branches contain more than one million items, and the staff responds to more than 300,000 inquiries annually. In addition to popular materials and information services, the library provides storytime programs, special business and health collections, a bookmobile, and services for disabled persons and adult new readers. Public Internet access is available at all branches.
The U.S. Naval Academy's Nimitz Library houses more than 413,000 books in its general collections and some 27,000 books in special collections that focus on naval history, naval and military science, and science and technology. The U.S. Navy Library, with 12,000 volumes, focuses on energy research and materials and environmental control.
Other libraries in the city include the Maryland State Archives Library, the Maryland State Law Library, the Maryland Department of Legislative Services Library, St. John's College Library, the Anne Arundel Medical Center Library, the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Analytical Services Library, and The Capital Newspaper Library.
A number of research institutes make their home in Annapolis. The Historic Annapolis Foundation Research Center has special subject interests in architecture, city planning, urban design, and local and state history. The ITT Research Institute Technical Information Services concentrates on communications and electronics equipment areas. The Center for Public Justice offers public policy research from a Christian perspective, while the Environmental Research Foundation examines toxic, hazardous, and solid waste problems.
Public Library Information: Anne Arundel County Public Library, 5 Harry S Truman Pkwy., Annapolis, MD 21401; telephone (410)222-7371