Enrollment
1,714
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Baltimore, MD
Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High
Federal NCES profile for Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240009000280
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland.
- #13 of 42
- high schools in Baltimore · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 74.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High has class sizes larger than 76% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High ranks #13 of 42 high schools in Baltimore, MD.
School address
District: Baltimore City Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240009000280 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
104.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.4%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High
Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High is a higher-need, large high school in Baltimore, Maryland, enrolling 1,714 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 74.4% of students qualify for free meals, 52% above the Maryland average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,714 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 29 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #5.
Its student body is predominantly African American (87% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 23/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 286 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Baltimore's high schools, it stands alongside Dundalk High (2,087 students): Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.5:1 vs 15.5:1).
Baltimore City Public Schools also operates Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (1,632 students) and Baltimore City College (1,470 students) alongside Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High compares
Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.4% | ▲ 52% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,714 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,714
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 76% in Maryland - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$18,272
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 286 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 236 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 87.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
White 1.3%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 87.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.7, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baltimore City Public Schools, which includes Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High.
$18,272
Per student
-11%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Polytechnic Institute | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Baltimore City College | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kipp Harmony Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roland Park Elementary/Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Digital Harbor High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,632
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,399
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,371
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,359
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high schools in Baltimore
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Dundalk High
Standard public school
2,087 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Perry Hall High
Standard public school
2,012 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Woodlawn High
Standard public school
1,922 students 17:1 students per teacher
Kenwood High
Standard public school
1,900 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Parkville High
Standard public school
1,877 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Catonsville High
Standard public school
1,735 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,714 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High's federal record.
- Compare Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High against another school. Compare schools
- Baltimore City Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High
How many students attend Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High?
Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High has 1,714 students enrolled. It is a high school in Baltimore, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High?
The student-teacher ratio at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High is 16.5:1, which is 14% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High?
74.4% of students at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High?
The largest demographic group at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High is African American at 87.4% of enrollment, in Baltimore, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High?
Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High rank among high schools in Baltimore?
By Resource Investment Index, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High ranks #13 of 42 high schools in Baltimore, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Baltimore on the city page.
Is Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High a good school?
Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Baltimore City Public Schools?
Besides Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High, Baltimore City Public Schools also operates Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (1,632 students), Baltimore City College (1,470 students), and Kipp Harmony Academy (1,399 students). See the Baltimore City Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.