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Academy for College and Career Exploration

Q: Is Academy for College and Career Exploration a good school?

Academy for College and Career Exploration ranks 162 nd of 220 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-12

162^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 220 Maryland High Schools

Better than 26% of Maryland high schools

Summary

The Academy for College and Career Exploration is a public high school located in Baltimore, Maryland, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 957 students. The school is part of the Baltimore City Public Schools district, which is ranked 24th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school's performance has been consistently low over the years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 144th to 206th out of Maryland high schools between 2013-2014 and 2024-2025. The school has received a 0 or 1 star rating from SchoolDigger for most of this period, indicating poor overall performance. The school's four-year graduation rate has been around 70-76% in recent years, which is lower than the state average and the rates of some nearby schools like Bard High School Early College and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Additionally, the school has experienced high dropout rates, ranging from 5.1% to 19% in recent years, and high chronic absenteeism, with rates ranging from 48.7% to 75.5% in recent years.

The school's performance on standardized tests, such as the MCAP (Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program), is significantly lower than the state and district averages across all subject areas and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 4.5% of students were proficient or better in MCAP Mathematics, compared to 12.6% in Baltimore City Public Schools and 26.5% statewide. While the school's name suggests a focus on preparing students for college and careers, its low academic performance and high dropout rates raise concerns about its ability to effectively support its students' post-secondary aspirations.

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 — 11th percentile in 2007 → 26th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2007

Worth a look

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

!Social Studies scores 37 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school15%

District avg21%

Maryland avg37%

Middle school

316^th of 337

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 6%▲ up 4 pts since 2018

From bottom 2% (2018) to bottom 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

162^nd of 220

Maryland public high schools ?

Bottom 26%▲ up 18 pts since 2015

From bottom 9% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 29High 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
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
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 (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts32%-18 vs state

Algebra I6%-15 vs state

Mathematics4%-22 vs state

Science3%-29 vs state

Social Studies3%-37 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

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2★0

1★0

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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

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)				MCAP English Language Arts (2025)					MCAP Algebra I (2025)	MCAP Science (2025)	MCAP Social Studies (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	MCAP Social Studies 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%)	21.9	162^nd of 220 public high schools	26.4%		10	144^th of 146 public high schools	1.4%	18	0.0	4.8	2.5	4.5	13.2	30.2	19.5	40.4	32.4	6.0	2.7	2.6	$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%)	87.8	3^rd of 220 public high schools	98.6%		84.5	4^th of 146 public high schools	97.3%	1				29.1				92.3	92.3	29.1			$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%)	58.4	44^th of 220 public high schools	80.0%		37	95^th of 146 public high schools	34.9%	51				24.0				66.4	66.4	24.0			$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%)	23.5	156^th of 220 public high schools	29.1%		11.3	143^rd of 146 public high schools	2.1%	13				5.9				43.1	43.1	5.9			$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%)	13.2	206^th of 220 public high schools	6.4%					(n/a)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	15.8	10.8	10.5	28.4	17.6	1.3	3.6	3.5	$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%)	49.3	75^th of 220 public high schools	65.9%		34.8	106^th of 146 public high schools	27.4%	31				6.5				64.9	64.9	6.5			$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%)	13.9	199^th of 220 public high schools	9.5%					(n/a)				8.3				22.9	22.9	8.3			$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%)	16.6	187^th of 220 public high schools	15.0%					(n/a)				17.5				21.5	21.5	17.5			$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%)	53.4	60^th of 220 public high schools	72.7%		37.3	94^th of 146 public high schools	35.6%	34	2.7	15.5	10.6	9.8	22.2	35.1	48.6	78.2	47.3	11.2	17.6	21.6	$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%)	65.1	30^th of 220 public high schools	86.4%		60.4	31^st of 146 public high schools	78.8%	1				25.1				75.7	75.7	25.1			$18,604	$4,067	$14,537

Frequently Asked Questions about Academy for College and Career Exploration

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.

What district is Academy for College and Career Exploration in?

Baltimore City Public Schools

Is Academy for College and Career Exploration a good school?

Academy for College and Career Exploration ranks 162^nd of 220 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools feed into 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.

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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.