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St. Mary's College of Maryland

#1 in Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Maryland
  • B+
    Overall Grade
  • 4 Year
  • St. Mary's City, MD
  • 609 reviews
    Apply NowVisit Campus
    B+
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Academics
      B+
    2. Value
      A
    3. Diversity
      B+
    4. Campus
      B
    5. Athletics
      B-
    6. Party Scene
      B-
    7. Professors
      A-
    8. Location
      C-
    9. Dorms
      C+
    10. Campus Food
      A
    11. Student Life
      B
    12. Safety
      B-
    View Full Report Card
    About St. Mary's College of Maryland...
    Athletic Division
    NCAA Division III (without football)
    Athletic Conference
    Capital Athletic Conference
    Address
    47465 College Drive
    St. Mary's City, MD 20686
    Website
    smcm.edu
    From St. Mary's College of Maryland

    As Maryland’s public honors college, St. Mary’s offers an undergraduate liberal arts education and small-college experience like those found at exceptional private colleges. St. Mary’s shares the hallmarks of private institutions: an outstanding faculty, talented students, high academic standards, a challenging curriculum, small classes, a sense of community, and a spirit of intellectual inquiry. But as a state institution of higher education, St. Mary’s is also committed to the ideals of affordability, accessibility, and diversity. By combining these virtues of public and private education, St. Mary’s provides a unique alternative for students and their families.

    St. Mary’s is named for the place it marks: the 17th-century capital of Maryland. The spectacular waterfront setting is in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay region. The campus is 75 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. and 97 miles south of Baltimore.

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    St. Mary's College of Maryland Rankings

    Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

    Admissions

    Application Deadline
    January 15
    Acceptance Rate
    82%
    SAT Range
    1070-1290
    ACT Range
    22-28
    Application Fee
    $50
    SAT/ACT
    Required
    High School GPA
    Required
    Accepts Common App
    Yes

    Cost

    Net Price
    $20,711/ year
    National
    $15,523
    Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
    Average Total Aid Awarded
    $8,414/ year
    National
    $7,535
    Students Receiving Financial Aid
    91%

    Academics

    Professors
    A-
    Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
    Student Faculty Ratio
    10:1
    Evening Degree Programs
    No
    76%
    of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.34 responses
    48%
    of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.40 responses
    50%
    of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.40 responses

    Majors

    Most Popular Majors
    • Psychology
      68 Graduates
    • Economics
      64 Graduates
    • Biology
      49 Graduates
    • English
      37 Graduates
    • Political Science and Government
      37 Graduates
    • Mathematics
      32 Graduates
    • Information Science
      25 Graduates
    • History
      24 Graduates
    • Public Policy Analysis
      22 Graduates
    • Environmental Science
      18 Graduates

    Students

    Full-Time Enrollment
    1,516Undergrads
    Part-Time Undergrads
    54
    Undergrads Over 25
    3%
    Pell Grant
    19%
    Varsity Athletes
    22%
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
    Based on 31 responses
    Report
    • Quirky
      39%
    • Arrogant and uptight.
      13%
    • Relaxed
      13%
    • Friendly
      10%
    • Weird
      10%
    • Diverse
      3%
    • Liberal Arts College
      3%

    Campus Life

    Freshmen Live On-Campus
    —
    Poll
    98%
    of students say they don't have Greek life.40 responses
    Poll
    63%
    of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.63 responses
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes your school?
    Based on 24 responses
    Report
    • A huge disappointment.
      29%
    • Amazing
      25%
    • Weird
      17%
    • Community
      8%
    • Surpassed expectations
      8%
    • Communal
      4%
    • Lackluster
      4%

      After College

      Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
      $52,200/ year
      National
      $33,028
      Graduation Rate
      78%
      National
      49%
      Employed 2 Years After Graduation
      93%
      National
      83%
      73%
      of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.22 responses
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      St. Mary's College of Maryland Reviews

      609 reviews
      All Categories
      The best school for academics! Small classes allow me to work closely with my professors. Plus, all the faculty are extremely skilled in their fields and are more than willing to share their knowledge with students. They are attentive and encouraging. The arts programs are also fantastic, especially music and theater. And because the school is small, there are more opportunities to participate in various arts productions. The only downfalls would be the cost and the location. St. Mary's is more expensive than other public Maryland schools, and although the St. Mary's River is beautiful - there is really nothing to do in this rural spot.
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      I absolutely loved the campus tour when i visited during my college search. I was eager to see all of the different possibilities at a public honors college. The people who greeted me were fantastic and welcoming. I had a great experience while visiting, and now it is one of my top schools. There is one thing that i think could be better, i know you cannot really change this, but the all girls dorm is kind of a long walk away. But, that is my only complaint!
      St. Mary's is the promise of an amazing community in an amazing place. It can feel like the best place in the world or the worst. It's a very small school very far away from anything, so students tend to become very close or very isolated, and that's why the top two descriptions on here are "Amazing" and "A huge disappointment".

      That said, if you can find your people and your friends, SMCM can be an amazing place. The waterfront location is unrivaled, and the community is wonderful. Students are diverse, 'quirky', and extremely academically focused. I still have many close friendships with professors years after, and though my memories of my time there are conflicted, I can't imagine going to any other school in the US.