St. Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's Designated a Public Honors College

St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public, state-supported, coeducational college dedicated to providing an excellent education in the liberal arts tradition. There are 1,978 full-time students, of whom 851 are men and 1,127 are women. Almost 90 percent of the students live on campus in dorms, suites, apartments, and townhomes. Housing on campus is guaranteed for 8 semesters for all full-time students.

In 1992 the college was designated the State of Maryland's Public Honors College in recognition of the academic excellence of its faculty and students. Every St. Mary's student participates in the intellectual and social life of the college.

St. Mary's combines the educational and personal advantages of a small private college with the affordability of a public institution. Active learning and the development of critical thinking are encouraged in the discussion-oriented format made possible by modest class sizes. Student leadership in academic, cultural, and social spheres is aided by the community atmosphere, and opportunities are greater than at larger schools.

Maryland Location Offers Many Benefits

St. Mary's College of Maryland is situated along the banks of the St. Mary's River. Watermen harvest oysters and crabs from the St. Mary's, Potomac, and Patuxent rivers and the Chesapeake Bay; wild swans, ducks, and Canada geese winter in the creeks of St. Mary's County. Among the waterfront facilities are a boat house, river center, ocean kayaks, rowing shells, and a fleet of sailboats.

The Patuxent River Naval Air Station, the county's largest employer, is a naval aircraft testing facility, attracting over 100 contactors that sponsor internships to SMCM students. It is an environment that is alive, providing fresh air and space, conveniently located just 75 miles south of Washington, D.C.

St. Mary's College of Maryland Athletics

The athletic facilities include a field house, lighted tennis courts, a baseball field, an outdoor track, and a stadium for field hockey, soccer, and lacrosse. The athletic facility includes an aquatic center with two indoor swimming pools including an Olympic-sized pool, a basketball stadium, a fitness center, an aerobic center, additional team rooms, and a rock-climbing wall.

The college's teams compete in NCAA Division III and the Intercollegiate Sailing Association. Varsity sports for men are baseball, basketball, cross country, lacrosse, sailing, soccer, swimming, and tennis; for women, varsity sports are basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, sailing, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. The college's sailing teams are especially noted for their national recognitions.

Club sports available for both men and women include track, equestrian, fencing, golf, rowing, rugby, sailing, soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee.

Diverse and Deep Course of Study

The undergraduate course of study at the college provides both diversity and depth, leading to a broad understanding of the humanities, arts, and sciences. All students must complete the core curriculum requirements in addition to the requirements for a major field of study.

The core curriculum requirements are designed to develop skills in critical thinking, information literacy, written communication, and oral communication, as well as promote the capacity for integration and synthesis of knowledge across disciplines. The core curriculum begins with first-year students completing a seminar of unique topics in every discipline designed by the faculty. In addition, students will fulfill the experiential component of the core by completing an internship, taking a service-learning course, or studying abroad.

History, anthropology, and archaeology students can take advantage of the college's relationship with Historic St. Mary's City, the fourth permanent English settlement in the New World and Maryland's first capital. Many experts consider this area to contain the most abundant and earliest undisturbed artifacts of any American seventeenth-century town.

A strong music program provides advanced training in composition and piano performance and a jazz ensemble, percussion ensemble, choir, chamber vocal group, wind ensemble, and chamber orchestra for classical performances.

Independent Study and Internship Opportunities

Independent study for credit is possible in every major, allowing students to investigate subjects not covered in normal course offerings. There is also an opportunity for students to design their own majors using components from several majors to create an interdisciplinary, individualized program of study.

Internship programs for academic credit are available for junior- and senior-level students. Within these semester-long internships, students find ways to explore their career and scholarly interests. In recent years, St. Mary's interns have worked in state and federal government offices and laboratories, in the news media, in museums and art galleries, in commercial organizations, and in positions abroad. In a number of cases, internships have led either to full-time employment after graduation or to graduate or professional study.

Experienced Faculty Mentors Students

Faculty appointments and promotions are made on the basis of commitment to undergraduate teaching, an interest in new approaches to education, and academic and scholarly achievement. The faculty members have experience in a wide range of activities, including government, business, research, environmental studies, civil rights, theater, musical performance, and writing. Since 1982, St. Mary's College has had 23 Fulbright Scholars on its faculty and staff. Ninety-nine percent of the regular full-time faculty members hold a doctorate or other terminal degree in their field.

A student-faculty ratio of 12:1 and average class size of 16, the relatively small size of the college, and the informal atmosphere all encourage close and personal relationships between students and faculty members. Faculty members serve as academic advisers and also provide much informal counseling and individual attention to students' academic and personal development outside of the formal structure.

• Area and ethnic studies
• Asian Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Biological/life sciences
• Biology/Biological Sciences
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Biochemistry
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Computer and information sciences
• Computer and Information Sciences
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• English
• English
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Foreign languages and literature
• Foreign Languages and Literatures
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• History
• History
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Interdisciplinary studies
• Biological and Physical Sciences
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Mathematics and statistics
• Mathematics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Philosophy and religious studies
• Philosophy
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Religious Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Physical sciences
• Chemistry
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Physics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Psychology
• Psychology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Psychology Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Public administration and social services
• Public Policy Analysis
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Social sciences
• Anthropology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Economics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Political Science and Government
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Sociology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Visual and performing arts
• Dramatic/Theater Arts
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Art
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Music
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied2,398
• Accepted1,472
• Acceptance Rate61%
• Enrolled1,962
• Female Applicants1,488
• Females Accepted921
• Female Acceptance Rate61%
• Male Applicants910
• Males Accepted551
• Male Acceptance Rate60%
• Applying
• Application Fee$50
• Required for All Essay or personal statement
  Transcript of high school record
  Minimum high school GPA of 2
  resume of co-curricular activities
  
• Required for Some
• Average high school GPA for first-year freshman3.29
• Application Deadlines
• Type Application Closing Notification Date Rolling Admissions
• Fall freshmen January 1st April 1st --
• Out-of-state Fall freshmen Not Reported
• Early decision plan November 20th November 20th --
• Other early decision plan December 1st December 20th --
• Transfer February 1st May 1st --
• Test Scores Accepted
• Test Average School Accepted 25th Percentile* 75th Percentile*
• SAT Critical Reading 616 560 680
• SAT Math 592 540 650
• SAT Writing 604 550 670
• ACT Composite 25 29
• * 25th and 75th percentile is the score that 25/75 percent of students score at or below.

• Tuition
• In-state tuition *$12,245
• Out-of-state tuition *$25,045
• In-district tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition costs are based on a full academic year typically extending from September to June.
• Fees
• Full-time student fees$2,528.00
• Room and board *$11,305.00
• Room only *$6,385.00
• * Room and board charges vary according to board plan selected (i.e., 12-meal plan, 19-meal plan, etc.) and student level (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
• Other Payment Considerations
• Guaranteed tuition plan offeredNo
• Tuition pre-payment planNo
• Tuition payment plans offeredInstallments
• Student groups that qualify for full or partial waiver of tuitionEmployees or children of employees, Senior Citizens

• Gender
• Total Undergraduate Students1,962
• Male Student Percentage41%
• Female Student Percentage59%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic/Latino3.77%
• Black or African American7.7%
• White or Caucasian75.28%
• American Indian or Alaska Native%
• Asian2.75%
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.05%
• Two or more races2.91%
• Unknown3.16%
• Other Student Statistics
• International Breakout1.73% representing 35 other countries
• Out-of-state Students13% out-of-state student

• Housing
• College-owned housing available Yes
• Housing Requirements Not Reported
• Housing options Coed housing , Female-only housing, Special housing for disabled, Male-only housing, Cooperative housing
• Percentage of undergraduate students who live in college-owned housing 86%
• Student Activities
• Student-run campus newspaper Yes
• Drama / theater group Yes
• Student-run radio station Yes
• Student-run television station No
• Marching band No
• Choral groups Yes
• Student Services
• Legal services No
• Health clinic Yes
• Personal / psychological counseling Yes
• Women's center No
• Student Organizations
• Greek fraternities No
• Greek sororities No
• Local fraternities No
• Local sororities No
• Other organizations Not Reported
• Most popular organizations Crew, Acappella groups, SEAC (Student Environmental Action Coalition), Dance Club, Outdoors Club
• Campus Security and Safety
• 24-hour emergency telephone / alarm services Yes
• 24-hour patrols by trained officers Yes
• Students patrols Not Reported
• Late-night transport / escort services Yes
• Electronically-operated dormitory entrances Yes
• Other Not Reported

• Men's Sports
• Sport Intramural Intercollegiate Scholarship
• Badmington Yes Division X No
• Baseball No Division 3 No
• Basketball Yes Division 3 No
• Cheerleading No Division X No
• Crew No Division C No
• Cross-country running No Division 3 No
• Equestrian sports No Division C No
• Fencing No Division C No
• Field hockey No No No
• Football Yes No No
• Lacrosse Yes Division 3 No
• Rock climbing No Division C No
• Rugy No Division C No
• Sailing No Division X No
• Soccer Yes Division 3 No
• Softball Yes No No
• Swimming No Division 3 No
• Tennis No Division 3 No
• Ultimate Frisbee No Division C No
• Volleyball Yes No No
• Women's Sports
• Sport Intramural Intercollegiate Scholarship
• Badmington Yes Division X No
• Baseball No No No
• Basketball Yes Division 3 No
• Cheerleading No Division X No
• Crew No Division C No
• Cross-country running No Division 3 No
• Equestrian sports No Division C No
• Fencing No Division C No
• Field hockey No Division 3 No
• Football Yes No No
• Lacrosse Yes Division 3 No
• Rock climbing No Division C No
• Rugy No Division C No
• Sailing No Division X No
• Soccer Yes Division 3 No
• Softball Yes No No
• Swimming No Division 3 No
• Tennis No Division 3 No
• Ultimate Frisbee No Division C No
• Volleyball Yes Division 3 No

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty226
• Full-time Percentage60%
• Part-time Percentage40%
• Female Percentage50%
• Male Percentage50%
• Student:Faculty Ratio12:1 or 1,951 students to 166 faculty