Saint Mary’s Moves up in U.S. News Rankings for 4th Year
Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579
September 12, 2012 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Once again U.S. News ranks Saint Mary's College among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.” Saint Mary's comes in at 87, up from 90 last year. The College’s position has progressively increased over the past four years. Access to the U.S. News college rankings can be found online beginning today or printed in The Best Colleges 2013 guidebook, available in stores starting September 18. The U.S. News college rankings, which group schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, is a tool for students and parents considering higher education opportunities.
Saint Mary’s College’s strong graduation and retention rates are among the factors that contribute to its performance compared to peers. According to the College’s Office of Institutional Research, of the students who graduate from Saint Mary’s, 93 percent do so in four years. Among the other measures of quality that are weighed in determining the U.S. News rankings are faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving. Peer assessment and high school counselor assessment are also variables.
Saint Mary’s College President Carol Ann Mooney set a goal early in her presidency, which began in June 2004, to move Saint Mary’s into the national liberal arts rankings. A consistent national standing indicates Saint Mary’s is on course to meet a key goal in the College’s Strategic Plan, which is to provide “Educational Excellence Equal to that of the Best Colleges in the Country.”
“We know that national rankings are important to many high school students in their college search. I am very pleased that Saint Mary’s College is ranked among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for the fourth year running,” said Mooney. “Students graduate from Saint Mary’s with an education that challenges their minds, awakens their imaginations and instills in them the desire to leave the world a better place.”
College-bound students and their parents look to rankings and other indicators of academic quality when making their decisions about college. Last month, The Princeton Review rated Saint Mary’s College among the Best Colleges in the Midwest for the tenth year in a row. U.S .News and The Princeton Review, along with other resources such as the University and College Accountability Network (UCAN), College Navigator and the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), enable them to garner information about Saint Mary’s and other institutions.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” for 2013 published by U.S. News. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.