SUN: 22 Maryland colleges reported 465 rapes, 169 fondling incidents over 3-year span

Twenty-two Maryland universities and colleges reported 465 rapes and 169 fondling incidents from 2023 through 2025, according to data compiled by The Baltimore Sun — a tally advocates for survivors of sexual abuse say significantly understates the prevalence of sexual assault at colleges.

The findings come as Gov. Wes Moore has directed the Maryland Higher Education Commission to recommend improvements to campus sexual assault policies within 90 days of his Oct. 14 order. But the federally required crime reports offer an incomplete picture of campus safety: They count reported offenses within designated geographic areas, leaving out assaults that survivors never report.

At least 256 on-campus rapes were included in the data, which covers the main campuses of four-year public or nonprofit institutions that enroll at least 1,000 students and are subject to the federal Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act. The other 209 reported rapes were reported in other locations covered by the law.

The number of reported rapes and fondling incidents varied among the 22 Maryland institutions, although raw totals reflect differences in enrollment as well as reported incidents.

The University of Maryland, College Park, with an undergraduate and graduate enrollment of 41,725 as of the fall 2024 semester, reported 52 rapes during the three years. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with an enrollment of 13,906, reported 36 rapes. Towson University, with an enrollment of 19,401, reported 33 rapes.

The University of Maryland, College Park, also reported the most fondling incidents, 34. Towson University reported 17 fondling incidents, and Johns Hopkins University, with an enrollment of 30,210, reported 23 fondling incidents.

The Sun analyzed security reports from 22 of Maryland’s 55 accredited colleges and universities. In addition to the size and institutional criteria, the analysis required substantial in-person instruction. The remaining 33 institutions did not meet those criteria.

The Baltimore Sun asked those institutions how they compiled their sexual assault data and what they thought of Moore’s directive.

Moore did not respond to The Sun’s request for comment.