Estimating Spatial Access to Broad-Access Postsecondary Institutions in Maryland

• In Event: College Access, Community Colleges, and Geography

Abstract

Although broad-access institutions (BAIs) democratize access to postsecondary education through inclusive admissions policies, spatial access to BAIs is under-studied. Using data from IPEDS, we estimate and visualize the shortest travel times to BAIs using open-source routing software from a grid of generated points across Maryland. As might be expected, less than half of points within the state can access any BAI within a 30-minute drive, and 90% within an hour. More points can access community colleges within shorter travel times compared to four-year institutions and points in urban areas generally have shorter travel times compared to points in rural areas. Results from our study underscore the importance of incorporating location, time, and mode of transportation in analyses of college access.

Authors

• Zyrashae N. Smith-Onyewu, University of Florida

• Juan B. Cortes, Johns Hopkins University

• Paula Kim, Johns Hopkins University

• Nathaniel Dewey, Johns Hopkins University

• Marc L. Stein, Johns Hopkins University