Is Baltimore a safe place to live? I'm from out of state and don't know the area very well
This comes up all the time. There are definitely certain areas I might stay away from (as in...wouldn't walk alone by myself), but it's going to be like that in almost any "big city" in the Nation. The city is getting better with trying to have better lighting in the area, and there are always cops patrolling around at all times of the day/night. The University area, where generally most of the graduate school buildings are located, is one the safest areas in the city of Baltimore. Also, if you're trying to go from school to home at odd hours, there is a police escort service that you can request.
Sure, you might have to take some extra precautions, such as not walking home while texting with your smart phone, but generally, those are the only crimes that occur around campus. As long as you're smart, and not walking by yourself at night, I would say Baltimore is safe.