St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the state’s public honors college, was recently acknowledged in the 2018 edition of the “Fiske Guide to Colleges.” According to the guide, “For those looking to be part of an intellectual community in a small-town setting, St. Mary’s just might be a place to set sail.”
For more than 30 years, millions of students, parents, and guidance counselors have relied on the Fiske Guide to Colleges during their college search. Compiled by former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske, the guide is a selective, subjective, and systematic look at 300+ colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain.
“This place will allow you to try new things, understand yourself better, and open your eyes to the world,” said a St. Mary’s College biology major quoted in the guide. Readers will discover the real personality of St. Mary’s College based on a broad range of subjects, including student body, academics, social life, campus setting, housing, food, and extracurricular activities.
Academically, the guide highlights the discussion-focused First Year Seminar, which allows students to “cultivate an area of particular interest while building critical-thinking, researching, writing and speaking skills.” Another stand out is “the Experiencing the Liberal Arts in the World requirement, which may involve an internship, community service, study abroad, or off-campus research.”
“Because of the nature of an honors college, all students who attend St. Mary’s are academically focused, and there is a common goal to succeed,” explains a senior in the guide. “Another adds that, although rigorous, ‘Classes are only competitive in the sense that we push each other to try harder and learn more. But it’s in a positive, supportive way.’”
St. Mary’s College’s small classes sizes are a bonus for students, with a student to faculty ratio of 10:1. According to the guide, “Seventy-two percent of classes have fewer than 20 students, and graduate students do not teach courses.”
St. Mary’s College of Maryland is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education through 2024-2025. St. Mary’s College, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Approximately 1,700 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary’s River in Southern Maryland.