Baltimore College Fact Book
A detailed update through the class of 2018 as part of a series of reports about Baltimore City Public Schools graduates’ transistion to college.
June 2020
Baltimore College Fact Book: Data Digest of College Access Outcomes
By Rachel E. Durham, Zyrashae Smith, and Curt Cronister
This report provides a detailed update through the class of 2018 as part of a series of reports about Baltimore City Schools graduates’ transition to college.
For the first time, this report also provides college enrollment and degree completion information for First-Time Ninth Grade Cohorts.
Highlights
Total fall enrollment increased slightly from 43.9% for the class of 2015 to 45.3% among the class of 2018. Among recent graduates, enrollment at 4-year colleges was more common than enrollment at 2-year colleges.
The average graduate across the classes of 2016 through 2018 completed more than three applications to college. However, the number of college applications completed varied dramatically across high schools, which may reflect uneven access to college guidance resources and knowledgeable adults.
The percent of graduates district-wide who completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) ranged between 52.0% and 54.4%. However, at the high school level, the percentage ranged between 22% and 89%.
After four years, approximately one-third of first-time 9th grade students enrolled in college during their on-time fall enrollment window.
Student achievements and behaviors during 9th grade are remarkably predictive of fall enrollment outcomes. Students with no core course failures in 9th grade were seven times more likely to enroll in a 4-year college on time than students with only one core course failure. Similarly, students with a 9th grade attendance rate of at least 95% were over nine times more likely to enroll in a 4-year college than students who were chronically absent that year.