Bill > SB899

This bill establishes a new system for high school class rankings and guaranteed admissions to public senior higher education institutions in Maryland. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, high schools with at least 15 students in a grade level will be required to create class rankings based solely on students' cumulative grade point average (GPA) at the end of 11th grade. For classes with 15-19 students, the top-ranked student will be designated as the top 5% and the second-highest ranked student as the top 10%. These rankings will be noted on students' high school transcripts and used to determine eligibility for guaranteed college admission. Starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, public senior institutions must establish a process to automatically admit students who meet specific criteria, such as ranking in the top 10% of their class, being a National Merit Scholarship finalist, or (for home-schooled students) scoring in at least the 90th percentile on college entrance exams. The University of Maryland, College Park has slightly more stringent requirements, requiring top 5% class ranking or a 98th percentile exam score for guaranteed admission. Institutions retain the right to verify information and revoke admission offers if students do not maintain their academic standing or misrepresent their qualifications.

Education

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0899?ys=2025RS