For the second year in a row, St. Mary’s College of Maryland has been recognized as a College of Distinction.
According to Wes Creel, founder of Colleges of Distinction, “St. Mary’s College of Maryland is one of the teaching-centered colleges that make up the fabric of the American educational system, a school that delivers well our four overarching distinctions – Engagement, Teaching, Community, and Outcomes – the fundamental elements of an effective undergraduate education. It is the mission of Colleges of Distinction to honor and recognize those institutions that are so essential to educating the next generation of young adults.”
To be designated a College of Distinction a school’s curriculum must emphasize such core competencies as critical thinking, writing, oral skills, research, and global perspectives. The institution also must offer dynamic out-of-the-classroom learning and study abroad programs.
St. Mary’s College was also recently acknowledged in the 2018 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges and has been ranked among the “Best Colleges for Your Money” by Money magazine. According to Money, “St. Mary’s College of Maryland is the state’s public honors college. But with a liberal arts focus, a low student-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, and a high graduation rate, it could easily be mistaken for a selective private school.”
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.