Enrollment
967
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 240009001381
Academy for College and Career Exploration — Baltimore, MD
Federal NCES profile for Academy for College and Career Exploration, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 28/100.
👥 Class size 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Baltimore City Public Schools · Maryland
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Maryland avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.7%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Academy for College and Career Exploration compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Academy for College and Career Exploration reports 967 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 59.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 6% above the Maryland state mean of 14.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 4% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 74.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 52% above the Maryland average and 44% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 484 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 62.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Baltimore City Public Schools spends $23,862 per pupil district-wide, above the Maryland average of $22,498 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 33.3% from local sources (property taxes), 51.4% from the state, and 15.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Academy for College and Career Exploration compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Maryland state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.7% | ▲ 52% | 49.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 967 | top 85% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
74.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 52% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
— 6% above state mean
Top 62% in Maryland — lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
62.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$23,862
per pupil, district-wide
— above Maryland avg of $22,498
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 484 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 967 Top 85% in Maryland — larger than 15% of 1,383 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 59.0
Students per teacher 15.3:1 +6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 74.7% +52% vs state
NCES ID 240009001381
Student demographics
African American 69.8%
Hispanic or Latino 17.7%
White 8.8%
Asian 2.1%
Two or More 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 69.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 484:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 62.3%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 49
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baltimore City Public Schools, which includes Academy for College and Career Exploration.
$23,862
Per student
+6%
vs Maryland
Avg $22,498
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 33.3%
State 51.4%
Federal 15.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,714
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,632
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 1,399
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,371
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
Similar other schools in Baltimore
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Roland Park Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,371 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Lakeland Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,070 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,061 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Hampstead Hill Academy
Standard public school
933 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
The Belair-Edison School
Standard public school
911 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Leith Walk Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
910 students 19:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Academy for College and Career Exploration
How many students attend Academy for College and Career Exploration?
Academy for College and Career Exploration has 967 students enrolled. It is a other school in Baltimore, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Academy for College and Career Exploration?
The student-teacher ratio at Academy for College and Career Exploration is 15.3:1, which is 6% higher than the Maryland average of 14.4:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Academy for College and Career Exploration?
74.7% of students at Academy for College and Career Exploration are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Academy for College and Career Exploration?
The largest demographic group at Academy for College and Career Exploration is African American at 69.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Baltimore, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Academy for College and Career Exploration?
Academy for College and Career Exploration has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.