Who We Are

Being Catholic and Marianist shows us the way.

Our University — animated by Christ’s message of charity, compassion and respect, and the Marianists’ humility and commitment to community — invites and welcomes men and women of all faiths, and even of no faith, to walk together, talk together and search for truth together.

Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity. We strive to educate our students to become ethical leaders for the common good, to leave campus with generous spirits and humble hearts, and to view their professional careers as vocational journeys, not just careers. Graduates leave St. Mary’s, not with the narrow goal of personal gratification but aspiration to a life purposely lived: a life of true value.

What Matters at St. Mary’s

St. Mary’s University in San Antonio is a private liberal arts school and the oldest Catholic university in Texas. Through small classes, close student-faculty relationships and an engaged community, teaching and learning flourish at St. Mary’s. We offer a variety of academic programs in humanities, sciences and business, and options to pursue graduate, doctoral and law degrees. Our students engage in learning and social opportunities through undergraduate research, internships and community engagement.  

As a nationally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution, St. Mary’s has a diverse student population of more than 3,000 of all faiths and backgrounds. Students experience a nurturing and vibrant community rooted in the University’s Catholic and Marianist commitments to providing a holistic education in a faith-centered, family-spirit environment.  


The St. Mary’s Edge

  • Community

    Students experience a nurturing and vibrant community atmosphere that encourages and facilitates community engagement, undergraduate and graduate research, faculty mentoring and service learning.

    The strong community environment is rooted in the University’s Catholic and Marianist commitments to providing a holistic education in a faith-centered, family-spirit environment.

  • Vocation

    As a Catholic and Marianist University, we foster the formation of deep Christian faith in our students and educate ethical leaders for the common good.

    For more than 170 years, our Marianist brothers and lay faculty and staff have gently mentored St. Mary’s students to graduate with generous spirits and humble hearts, and to view their careers as vocational journeys, not simply jobs.

  • Academics

    St. Mary’s is known for quality academic programs and excellent faculty.

    All undergraduates take the St. Mary’s Core Curriculum, which broadens students’ knowledge and transforms their understanding of their place in the world and their social responsibilities. These courses also develop crucial skills employers seek, such as critical thinking and problem-solving.

  • Success

    The enduring values of integrity, respect for others, humility and a collaborative orientation are uniformly prized by employers, patients, clients and customers.

    St. Mary’s graduates overachieve in the workplace and find financial success, and aspire to lives purposefully lived.

  • Mission and Identity

    We invite men and women of all faiths, and of no faith, to join our community and search for truth together.

    We host lectures, symposia, events and discussions to discuss and explore the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, which is at the heart of the educational enterprise of St. Mary’s University.

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