Something to celebrate: Saint Mary’s also earns accolades as the top Lasallian university in the country. / Photo by Gerry Serrano
Saint Mary’s in the Top 3% of Master’s Universities in the Country, Says Washington Monthly
When it comes to service, Saint Mary’s is the No. 2 Catholic master’s university in the nation. Plus, SMC earns accolades once again from the Princeton Review as a “green school.”
Saint Mary’s College of California has earned recognition as among the top 3% of master’s universities in the country, according to a 2024 report issued by Washington Monthly magazine. And when it comes to service, the report ranks SMC in the top 4% of master’s universities nationwide—and singles out Saint Mary’s as the No. 2 Catholic master’s university in the country.
According to Washington Monthly, Saint Mary’s is also the top Lasallian master’s university overall in the United States. Lasallian colleges are grounded in the tradition and leadership of the De LaSalle Christian Brothers, the largest Roman Catholic order dedicated to teaching. SMC is also the only Catholic university in California to make the top 20.
To those familiar with Saint Mary’s, this national recognition doesn’t come as a surprise. Saint Mary’s was founded with a commitment to make a quality education accessible to all—to instill in graduates the transformative power of education, both when it comes to creating opportunities for individuals and changing the world.
“The Saint Mary’s experience is rich, rewarding, exciting, and transformative in so many ways,” says Saint Mary’s President Roger Thompson. “It’s heartening to see this recognized for what it means to individual students—and for their impact on the world.”
For Washington Monthly, Saint Mary’s focus on service is significant; since 2005, the magazine has ranked colleges based on what they do for the country. The 2024 report also gives Saint Mary’s high marks for research—in the top 10% of master’s universities—as well as high marks in the category of “Bang for the Buck” colleges.
Princeton Review Green School
Saint Mary’s once again earns a spot in the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges. As the recently released 2025 edition of the guide makes clear, SMC is both a “best-fit” college for undergraduates and a leader in practices related to sustainability and the environment.
The Princeton Review chooses the colleges for the edition based on a survey of hundreds of administrators at colleges and universities across the US and internationally. It also surveys students about their “green” campus experience. Drawing on 25 data points, schools earn a rating from 60 to 99. Saint Mary’s scores near the very top, with a rating of 96.
“The Saint Mary’s experience is rich, rewarding, exciting, and transformative in so many ways.”
—SMC President Roger Thompson
Along with its gorgeous campus nestled in the rolling hills east of San Francisco, Saint Mary’s has increasingly earned regional and national accolades for being a leader in sustainability. This fall, for the second year in a row, Saint Mary’s College was ranked No. 8 in the nation when it comes to sustainable food and dining practices. The accolade appears in the 2024 Sustainable Campus Index, which is measured by the AASHE STARS (the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) program, through which overall SMC continues to earn an overall gold rating.
Also this fall, Saint Mary’s was honored by Sustainable Contra Costa as a sustainability hero in the community. And last year, the College led a conversation for Lasallian universities around the world on how to leverage the global community to advance sustainability initiatives.
