Karen Freeman Burdnell was born and raised in West Baltimore, in the neighborhood of Mondawin Heights, a predominantly middle-class, African-American neighborhood. She attended James Mosher and Lemmel Elementary Schools. In 1970, she graduated from Eastern High School and went on to become one of the first three black women undergraduates to attend Johns Hopkins University.

1970 was the first year that any women were admitted to Hopkins undergraduate program. And this presented particular challenges. Ms. Burnell recalled that she was surprised to be admitted, even though she knew she deserved to be there. With the exception of the Black Student Union, she focused primarily on academic activities. And unlike her classmates, she also opted to live off-campus. Since even bathroom facilities for women students were limited on campus, the spared her from some of the more awkward aspects of the transition from an all-male to a co-education school experience by her fellow female classmates.