It is part of the Howard County Public School System.

[2] River Hill was recognized in 2008 by BusinessWeek as having the "Best Overall Academic Performance" in Maryland.

Silver medals are given to high schools that are not ranked in the national top 100, but have a college readiness index of at least 20.

[4] River Hill is the home of Alliance Rocket, co-winners of the SPHERES Challenge 2011 Championship on the International Space Station.

[5][6] In its 2012 rankings of the best high schools in the nation, U.S. News and World Report ranked River Hill the 10th best high school in Maryland and 236th best in the country.