St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the state’s public honors college, is one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company features St. Mary’s College in the new 2018 edition of its flagship college guide, “The Best 380 Colleges.”
Only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and two colleges outside the U.S. are profiled in the book, which is one of The Princeton Review’s most popular guides. Published annually since 1992, it has detailed profiles of the colleges with ratings scores in eight categories. St. Mary’s College is also included in the Best Northeastern and Best Green Colleges lists.
In its profile on the college, The Princeton Review quotes extensively from St. Mary’s College students surveyed for the book. Speaking on the college’s classroom environment, many students cite the relationships they built with faculty as the “largest benefit to attending SMCM.” Students also report that “many professors are extremely good at making classes interesting and at engaging students through discussion-based approaches.”
The scenic location of the campus is highlighted in the guide: “Whether they are admiring ‘the beauty of the St. Mary’s River’ from a kayak, ‘tanning on the docks,’ ‘taking walks in the woods,’ or keeping warm next to a bonfire, outdoor activities are popular and ‘only a short walk from the campus center.’”
Regarding the student body, a St. Mary’s College student says, “I am so happy that I am able to walk about this campus knowing that every person I walk past could be a conversation away from being a friend of mine.”
The college’s Office of Admissions is also quoted in the profile: “St. Mary’s College of Maryland occupies a distinctive niche and represents a real value in American higher education. It is a public college, dedicated to the ideal of affordable, accessible education and committed to quality teaching and excellent programs for undergraduate students.”
St. Mary’s College also was recognized recently as a 2017-18 College of Distinction, acknowledged in the 2018 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges and ranked among the “Best Colleges for Your Money” by Money magazine.
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.