University 11th in state overall, first in Southwest for value

St. Mary’s University ranks 11th of 60 in College Factual’s “Best Texas Colleges” rankings released this fall.

The University also holds the No. 1 spot in the “Best Colleges for the Money” list for the Southwest region, and No. 40 of 1,223 schools nationwide for value.

According to College Factual, its rankings system is based on algorithms that use information from the Department of Education, nationally mandated data reporting for institutions and PayScale, which recently ranked St. Mary’s No. 5 among 49 Texas colleges and universities for salary potential.

“College Factual – a new site that uses outcomes-based data to guide students through the college selection process – is transforming college rankings by providing the tools to generate personalized best college lists,” according to a company media release.

“Outcomes-based data” may include average student loan debt per student and default rates; retention and graduation rates; graduates’ starting salaries and earning potential; and return on investment based on cost of a degree, the release says.

Overall, St. Mary’s ranks No. 393 of 1,394 in the country. The University of Pennsylvania ranks first; Rice University earned the top spot in the Texas rankings.

The rankings are also broken down by academic and athletics programs. Highlights include:
No. 8 of 728 in Best Colleges for the Money for Business, Management and Marketing
No. 10 of 344 in Best Colleges for the Money for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting
No. 7 of 629 in Best Colleges for the Money for Social Sciences
No. 7 of 227 in Division II Baseball
No. 2 of 252 in Division II Softball

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