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Academy for College and Career Exploration

Public Grades 6-12

187^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 18% of Maryland high schools

Summary

The Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE) is a public school in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood serving 967 students in grades 6-12, where nearly 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. While the school has shown improvement from a very low base—its graduation rate has climbed to 75.6%, above the Baltimore City Public Schools district average—it still faces significant academic challenges, ranking in the 18th percentile among Maryland high schools. The school spends $23,129 per student, which is higher than top-performing nearby schools like Baltimore Polytechnic Institute ($18,309) and Baltimore City College ($18,604), yet this investment has not translated into comparable academic outcomes.

ACCE's most pressing concern is its extreme chronic absenteeism rate of 65.4%, the second-highest among nearby schools and far above the district average of 46.4%. This is dramatically worse than top performers like Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (18.7%) and Baltimore City College (21.7%). Math proficiency is critically low at just 4.8%, well below the district (13.3%) and state (27.1%) averages. However, there is a notable bright spot: ACCE's 8th-grade English Language Arts proficiency of 41.7% actually exceeds the district average of 32.7% and outperforms Baltimore Design School (30.9%), suggesting a specific strength in middle school literacy instruction.

When compared to Coppin Academy, a school just 1.6 miles away with a similar demographic profile and spending level, ACCE significantly underperforms. Coppin Academy boasts a 90.1% graduation rate, 49.5% ELA proficiency, and a 4.9% dropout rate, compared to ACCE's 75.6% graduation rate, 28.9% ELA proficiency, and 19.6% dropout rate. This comparison suggests ACCE's challenges are not solely due to poverty but may relate to school-specific practices or culture. While ACCE is not the most struggling school in its area—Renaissance Academy and Joseph C. Briscoe Academy face more dire statistics—it sits in a precarious middle ground, improving from a low base but not keeping pace with the district's top-tier schools.

967

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,129

Per pupil spending ?

79.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1300 W 36th Street
Baltimore, MD 21211

(410) 396-7607

District: Baltimore City Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

69.7%

Hispanic:

17.7%

White:

8.8%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Academy for College and Career Exploration to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 6th percentile in 2008 → 18th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2008

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (15% vs 37% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 23 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school15%

District avg22%

Maryland avg37%

Middle school

288^th of 339

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 15%▲ up 13 pts since 2018

From bottom 2% (2018) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

187^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Bottom 18%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 31High Schools in the Baltimore City Public Schools

24^th of 25Baltimore City Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	18.8	288 of 339	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.4	316 of 337	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.8	300 of 328	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.9	311 of 322	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.2	318 of 333	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.8	322 of 328	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	9.5	305 of 339	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	10.3	293 of 316	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	7.8	286 of 288	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	16.6	187 of 227	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.9	162 of 220	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.0	144 of 146	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.4	206 of 225	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.8	205 of 233	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	5.1	213 of 233	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	10.0	200 of 231	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	6.4	199 of 220	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	8.0	196 of 213	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	4.4	202 of 214	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	8.4	185 of 209	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	12.4	172 of 204	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Middle school

Male (2021)1st percentile

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts29%-23 vs state

Science12%-19 vs state

Algebra I7%-15 vs state

Mathematics5%-22 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student on FaceBook
Friday, January 18, 2013

I attended this school when it was founded in 2004 i was part of the first year. i love this school. the teachers are fun when it comes to teaching. its always hands on never boring. the lessons are always fun and educational. Close Quote

Schools Near Academy for College and Career Exploration

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)				MCAP English Language Arts (2026)					MCAP Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Academy for College and Career Exploration	Public	6-12	1300 W 36th Street	Baltimore	21211	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-7607	967	67	14.4	79.1%	85 (8.8%)	674 (69.7%)	171 (17.7%)	20 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	12 (1.2%)	16.6	187^th of 227 public high schools	17.6%		21.9	162^nd of 220 public high schools	26.4%	25	0.0	4.7	2.2	4.8	11.6	21.4	41.7	31.2	28.9	6.6	11.8	$23,129	$4,571	$18,558
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute	Public	9-12	1400 W Cold Spring Lane	Baltimore	21209	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 396-7026	1,632	85	19.2	47.8%	336 (20.6%)	954 (58.5%)	224 (13.7%)	81 (5.0%)	4 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	25 (1.5%)	92.5	1^st of 227 public high schools	99.6%		87.8	3^rd of 220 public high schools	98.6%	2				43.0				95.8	95.8	43.0		$18,309	$4,276	$14,033
Western High	Public	9-12	4600 Falls Road	Baltimore	21209	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-7040	1,290	77	16.7	72.8%	29 (2.2%)	1,100 (85.3%)	143 (11.1%)	6 (0.5%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.5%)	63.8	32^nd of 227 public high schools	85.9%		58.4	44^th of 220 public high schools	80.0%	12				27.4				71.4	71.4	27.4		$18,950	$4,418	$14,532
Coppin Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	2500 W North Avenue	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(443) 642-5060	450	27	16.6	83.8%	0 (0.0%)	438 (97.3%)	8 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	32.4	133^rd of 227 public high schools	41.4%		23.5	156^th of 220 public high schools	29.1%	23				13.4				49.5	49.5	13.4		$23,883	$4,371	$19,512
ConneXions: A Community Based Arts School	Public, Charter	6-12	2801 N Dukeland Street	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(443) 984-1418	523	32	16.6	88.7%	5 (1.0%)	496 (94.8%)	18 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	16.3	190^th of 227 public high schools	16.3%		13.2	206^th of 220 public high schools	6.4%	16	2.6	0.0	2.5	1.4	13.2	18.6	7.5	36.1	20.9	1.0	0.0	$30,555	$7,626	$22,929
Bard High School Early College	Public	9-12	2801 N Dukeland Street	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 642-5040	459	31	15.0	65.4%	47 (10.2%)	387 (84.3%)	17 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	59.2	47^th of 227 public high schools	79.3%		49.3	75^th of 220 public high schools	65.9%	28				17.2				70.6	70.6	17.2		$23,408	$5,220	$18,188
Carver Vocational-Technical High	Public	9-12	2201 Presstman Street	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0553	1,041	61	17.2	86.4%	23 (2.2%)	955 (91.7%)	59 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	13.5	205^th of 227 public high schools	9.7%		13.9	199^th of 220 public high schools	9.5%	6				2.4				28.2	28.2	2.4		$22,485	$5,615	$16,870
Renaissance Academy	Public	9-12	1301 McCulloh Street	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 984-3164	241	23	10.7	94.2%	0 (0.0%)	223 (92.5%)	14 (5.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	8.7	224^th of 227 public high schools	1.3%		16.6	187^th of 220 public high schools	15.0%	37				1.4				11.1	11.1	1.4		$38,693	$9,264	$29,429
Baltimore Design School	Public	6-12	1500 Barclay Street	Baltimore	21202	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 642-2311	503	39	13.0	75.9%	26 (5.2%)	435 (86.5%)	25 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	54.2	60^th of 227 public high schools	73.6%		53.4	60^th of 220 public high schools	72.7%		10.3	9.0	35.3	15.1	25.6	49.3	30.9	72.5	46.7	11.6	12.7	$21,049	$4,384	$16,665
Baltimore City College	Public	9-12	3220 The Alameda	Baltimore	21218	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 396-6557	1,470	79	18.6	52.1%	207 (14.1%)	986 (67.1%)	207 (14.1%)	23 (1.6%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	36 (2.4%)	83.9	8^th of 227 public high schools	96.5%		65.1	30^th of 220 public high schools	86.4%	22				46.7				85.0	85.0	46.7		$18,604	$4,067	$14,537

Frequently Asked Questions about Academy for College and Career Exploration

What is the racial makeup of Academy for College and Career Exploration?

Students at Academy for College and Career Exploration are 70% African American, 18% Hispanic, 9% White, 2% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Academy for College and Career Exploration in?

Baltimore City Public Schools

How many students attend Academy for College and Career Exploration?

In the 2024-25 school year, 967 students attended Academy for College and Career Exploration.

Is Academy for College and Career Exploration a good school?

Academy for College and Career Exploration ranks in the bottom 17.6% of Maryland high schools.

What schools feed into Academy for College and Career Exploration?

Rate Academy for College and Career Exploration!

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.