An experience like no other: Saint Mary’s Resident Advisors for the 2024 Weekend of Welcome / Photo by Francis Tatem
Best in the West: Saint Mary’s Continues to Be Among Top 5 Percent in Regional Universities, Says U.S. News & World Report
These accolades come on top of high marks from the Princeton Review and Money Magazine, which lauds SMC for quality, affordability, and student outcomes.
Saint Mary’s College of California is in the top 5% of universities in the Best Regional Universities on the West Coast category for 2024–25, according to the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report. This distinction comes on top of recent high marks from the Princeton Review, which calls the SMC an ideal choice for students looking for a “best fit.” And it follows accolades by Money magazine, which lauds Saint Mary’s for quality, affordability, and student outcomes.
Saint Mary’s has achieved top-tier rankings among West Coast universities for the past four years in the U.S. News rankings. And once again Saint Mary’s is the only Catholic university in California to make the Top 10. Additionally, SMC ranks in the top 5% for first-year student retention, which far surpasses the national average. The College moved up one spot to No. 25 in Best Value Schools – Regional Universities (West). Small class sizes and professors who know you by name are part of the Saint Mary’s student experience; U.S. News notes that the ratio of students to faculty is 10:1. Finally, Saint Mary’s is also ranked in the top quarter when it comes to graduation rates for students receiving Pell grants, which are geared to support low-income students.
“We know what an incredible student experience Saint Mary’s offers,” says Saint Mary’s President Roger Thompson. “Inspiring minds and transforming lives is what this community is about and since our founding in 1863, we have continually helped students grow and learn. It’s always rewarding to see college rankings from the Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, Money magazine, and others recognize what Saint Mary’s has to offer. Even more important, we want everyone to know that we remain committed to not just offering the best student experience in the West but in the country!”
The Princeton Review lists Saint Mary’s in The Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition
This latest recognition for Saint Mary’s comes just weeks after the Princeton Review profiled SMC as one of the nation’s top higher education institutions for undergraduates in The Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition. That review is based on what students themselves say about the College.
“It’s always rewarding to see college rankings from the Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, Money magazine, and others recognize what Saint Mary’s has to offer. Even more important, we want everyone to know that we remain committed to not just offering the best student experience in the West but in the country!”
—SMC President Roger Thompson
Students highlight the institution’s robust academic offerings with professors who earn high marks for being interesting and accessible. Students also value how, with an ethnically and intellectually diverse student body, the people and mission of the College foster a sense of community. And they give a shout out to faculty for the personalized attention they give to ensure student success, and opportunities to get involved in a host of activities.
Money magazine recognizes Saint Mary's as one of the “Best Colleges in America 2024”
Earlier this year, Saint Mary’s earned a spot in Money magazine’s “The Best Colleges in America 2024.” There SMC receives 4.5 out of 5 stars for quality, affordability, and student outcomes—critical factors for many students and families—and is among the top 15 percent of colleges nationwide.
The rankings highlight Saint Mary’s Lasallian, Catholic heritage, the opportunities afforded through more than 70 academic programs, and the way that SMC’s Collegiate Seminar provides “the beating heart of the school’s educational ethos.”
Saint Mary’s Continues to Be Recognized in the Prestigious Guidebook Colleges That Changes Lives
Along with high marks in annual rankings, Saint Mary's College of California is highlighted in the prestigious guidebook Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. The publication is widely recognized as essential reading for college-bound students—and valued by discerning parents—for the way it identifies colleges that offer life-transforming educational experiences. Saint Mary's is the only Catholic college and the only California college in the history of the 40-school list.
When it comes to nurturing a diverse community, Saint Mary’s receives a number of distinctions. Since 2015, Saint Mary’s has earned the designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution, with full-time equivalent undergraduate student enrollment that is at least 25% Hispanic. The College also earns recognition from the US Department of Education as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander–Serving Institution, helping to empower generations of underserved students.
