Maryland EXCELS is Maryland's child care quality rating and improvement system, run by the Maryland State Department of Education. It publishes a five-level rating for participating centers, family child care homes, and pre-kindergarten programs, built on licensing, with higher levels reflecting added quality standards.
If you are comparing daycares in Maryland and keep seeing an EXCELS level, this guide explains what each level measures, who runs the system, how to look a program up, and how a rating connects to subsidy — so you can use it as one input, not the whole decision. Maryland EXCELS is administered by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) through its Division of Early Childhood, within the broader structure the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care sets for states.
Maryland EXCELS is Maryland's child care quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), administered by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) through its Division of Early Childhood. It publishes a tiered quality rating for participating child care centers, family child care homes, and public pre-kindergarten programs, built on licensing as the foundation, per MSDE and the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
A quality rating system does two jobs at once. It rates programs so families can compare them, and it improves programs by pairing higher levels with coaching, training, and resources. Maryland adopted this model, like most states, with support from the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by the ACF Office of Child Care.
Maryland EXCELS uses a five-level published rating. Level 1 is the entry point built on licensing compliance, and higher levels reflect added standards in areas such as staff qualifications, accreditation, and developmentally appropriate practice, per the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The table below shows how the levels build on each other.
| Level | What it generally reflects |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | The entry point: the program is licensed and registered in Maryland EXCELS. |
| Levels 2–3 | Added quality standards, such as staff training, professional development, and use of recognized practices. |
| Levels 4–5 | The highest published levels, reflecting standards like accreditation and strong staff qualifications, per MSDE. |
Higher levels are voluntary and take time and resources for a program to reach, so a Level 2 program is not automatically a poor choice. Maryland periodically revises EXCELS standards, so confirm a program's current published level rather than relying on an older screenshot.
Search the program on the Maryland EXCELS site, where participating programs show a published rating, then confirm the program's license status with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), which licenses child care in Maryland. Treat the level as one verified data point alongside your own tour, because ratings can lag a program's real, day-to-day conditions by a year or more.
Honest tradeoff. An EXCELS level is genuinely useful, but it reflects documented standards a program chose to meet, not a guarantee about any single classroom or day. A lower-level program may be a wonderful fit, and a high level can mask recent staff turnover. Use the rating to narrow your list, never to replace a visit.
The rating does not set tuition, which each program decides on its own. But in Maryland, higher-rated providers can qualify for added support and, where offered, tiered reimbursement tied to the Maryland Child Care Scholarship Program, administered by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), a structure the ACF Office of Child Care encourages under the federal Child Care and Development Fund. For national context, ChildCare Aware of America's 2024 Price of Child Care report put center-based care at roughly $8,000 to $24,000 per year depending on age and state.
For Maryland-specific figures, see our daycare cost guide and estimate your own with the cost calculator. If you may qualify for help paying, the Maryland Child Care Scholarship Program through MSDE is the place to start.
Maryland EXCELS is Maryland's child care quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), administered by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) through its Division of Early Childhood. It publishes a tiered quality rating for participating child care centers, family child care homes, and public pre-kindergarten programs, built on licensing, per MSDE and the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
Maryland EXCELS uses a five-level published rating, with Level 1 as the entry point built on licensing compliance and higher levels reflecting added quality standards in areas like staff qualifications, accreditation, and developmentally appropriate practice, per the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Higher levels are voluntary and take time and resources for programs to reach.
Search the program on the Maryland EXCELS site, where participating programs show a published rating, then confirm the program's license status with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), which licenses child care in Maryland. Ratings can lag a program's day-to-day reality, so pair the published level with your own tour.
Not directly through tuition, which each program sets. But higher-rated providers can qualify for added support and, where offered, tiered reimbursement tied to the Maryland Child Care Scholarship Program, administered by the Maryland State Department of Education, per MSDE and the ACF Office of Child Care. Center care nationally runs roughly $8,000–$24,000 per year, per ChildCare Aware of America's 2024 Price of Child Care report.
For the full picture in your state, see the Maryland daycare guide, which covers licensing, subsidy, and pre-K. Our daycare quality and safety pillar explains accreditation, ratios, and what to look for on a tour.
Comparing how other states rate quality? Read our explainers on Delaware Stars, Maine's Quality for ME, and Louisiana's Quality Start.
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