Saint Mary’s College is a Catholic, residential, women’s college in the liberal arts tradition. A pioneer in the education of women, the College is an academic community where women develop their talents and prepare to make a difference in the world. Founded by the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1844, Saint Mary’s promotes a life of intellectual vigor, aesthetic appreciation, religious sensibility, and social responsibility. All members of the College remain faithful to this mission and continually assess their response to the complex needs and challenges of the contemporary world.
< CollapseSaint Mary's College is a private Catholic liberal arts college founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. It is located in Notre Dame, unincorporated St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States - as are the University of Notre Dame and Holy Cross College - and is outside the city of South Bend. The name of the school refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Saint Mary's has been educating women for more than 150 years and is one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women. It was the first school to offer graduate degrees in Theology for women. Known as The Nation's Premier Catholic Women's College, Saint Mary’s College consistently ranks at the top of its category in the U.S. News and World Report annual survey of American colleges and universities (as of 2007, the college has earned the #1 spot 12 out of the last 13 years). The college combines a strong liberal arts program with a spiritual foundation and a dedicated alumnae family.
In 1843, four Sisters of the Holy Cross came from Le Mans, France, to share in the apostolate of education with the priests and brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who had been sent by the bishop of Vincennes to open a college in northern Indiana. In 1844, the sisters opened their first school in Bertrand, Michigan, a few miles from Notre Dame du Lac; it was a boarding academy with pre-collegiate grades. In 1855 the school moved to its present site and grew to become Saint Mary’s College.
Eleven presidents took the school from a small finishing school ministering to orphans, to a college offering five bachelor’s degrees. There are approximately 18,000 living alumnae. Proposals to merge with University of Notre Dame (the College's brother school, located across the street) in the 1970s were rejected, and Notre Dame became coeducational on its own.
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| Percent of Students International: | 0% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 88% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | Yes |
| Member of: | NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Basketball (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc) Track (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 27,600 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 612 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 2,804 | 21% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 6,115 | 10% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 12,174 | 84% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 8,501 | 61% | |
Any Aid: |
91% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 80% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 62% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 520, Math: 520 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 620, Math: 620 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 69% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 23, Verbal: 23, Math: 22 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 27, Verbal: 29, Math: 27 |
| Application Fee: | $ 30.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Recommended |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Required |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Required |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
