August 22, 2008
St. Mary’s University is ranked this year as the fourth best for quality and value in the West Region by the annual U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 edition of “America’s Best Colleges” guide.
In the “Great Schools, Great Prices” category, St. Mary’s was ranked fourth in the West region. Schools in this category are evaluated by relating academic quality to the net cost of attendance. Last year, St. Mary’s was ranked seventh. In the “Universities-Master’s” category, which includes schools with a full range of undergraduate and master’s level programs, St. Mary’s is listed 16th in the West region, marking the 15th-straight year that St. Mary’s has been included as a top-tier school.
“St. Mary’s University strives to provide an exceptional educational experience rooted in service and faith, and to produce graduates who are prepared to become leaders in their professions and communities. This national recognition as a best-value institution speaks directly to the quality, accessibility and affordability that St. Mary’s is dedicated to providing. Key indicators in this year’s list were three areas in which St. Mary’s excels – high graduation rates, high quality faculty, and student access to faculty in terms of small class size and faculty availability,” said St. Mary’s President Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D. “Our faculty, staff, students and alumni are proud, as should be our San Antonio community as well.”
In recent years, St. Mary’s has received numerous accolades for quality and service. A report by the Education Trust in named St. Mary’s as a top national performer in student graduation rates. St. Mary’s was highlighted primarily for success in graduating minority students at the same rates as non-minority students. St. Mary’s also was included in Campus Compact’s “Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement.”
Founded by the Society of Mary in 1852, St. Mary’s is the oldest Catholic university in Texas and the Southwest.