St. Mary's College of Maryland — College Profile

About

As Maryland’s designated public honors college, St. Mary's College of Maryland offers a highly personalized, private-school-caliber liberal arts experience at an accessible public university price point on a scenic, historic waterfront campus. The college is particularly renowned for its strong programs in biology, psychology, and environmental studies, which are highlighted by the "St. Mary's Project"—a distinctive, year-long self-directed capstone research or creative experience required for all seniors. Outside the classroom, students enjoy a collaborative, tight-knit campus culture centered around waterfront activities like nationally ranked varsity sailing and kayaking on the St. Mary’s River, alongside a deep, campus-wide commitment to environmental sustainability and community engagement.

Wikipedia:St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) is a public liberal arts college in St. Mary's City, Maryland. Established in 1840, St. Mary's College is an honors college that claims to "offer an experience similar to that of an elite liberal arts college". With about 1,600 enrolled students, the institution offers bachelor's degrees in 21 disciplines, as well as a master's program and certification programs.

Location

St. Mary's City, MD, 20686 · Rural campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

DCA · Washington DC

56 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$15,298$31,374

Housing & food (on campus)$16,079$16,079

Books & supplies$1,000$1,000

Cost of attendance$31,865$47,941 est.

Average net price$18,441Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$31,374

In-state: $15,298

Housing & food (on campus)$16,079

Books & supplies$1,000

Cost of attendance$47,941 est.

In-state: $31,865

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $18,441

est. = the in-state cost of attendance with out-of-state tuition swapped in; no out-of-state figure is published.

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$2,889

$30–48k

$12,053

$48–75k

$15,033

$75–110k

$19,796

$110k+

$25,173

Your family's actual price → St. Mary's College of Maryland net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2025-26

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$5,480

Share of first-years who get one52%

Source: St. Mary's College of Maryland's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

69%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

60%

Back for yr 2

86%

Transferred

23%

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

72% graduated · 23% transferred · 5% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$52,286

10 yrs after entry$60,110

Debt

Median at graduation$21,000

Monthly payment$223

Middle 50% owe$8.3k–$25.6k

90th percentile$27,454

Green marks a figure above the typical Baccalaureate — arts & sciences: 69% graduate within 6 yrs, $58,391 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

69%

Test policy

Test optional

Per College Scorecard

SAT average

1261

R 590–690 · M 553–650

ACT midpoint

Comp 26–31 · E 26–33 · M 20–26

SAT middle 50%: 1143–1340

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

How much essays count at St. Mary's College of Maryland: Very important (one of four levels: very important · important · considered · not considered)

Source: St. Mary's College of Maryland's Common Data Set for 2025-26 — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

If St. Mary's College of Maryland asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 40%Women 60%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

10 : 1

Pell grant

21%

First-gen

23%

Family income

$85,000

Independent

Age at entry

20.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

69%

Hispanic

Black

11%

Asian

Two or more

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division III without football · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Field Hockey
Women's
Lacrosse
Men's · Women's
Rowing
Men's · Women's
Sailing
Women's · Co-ed
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Swimming
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$52,286

After 10 yrs

$60,110

Psychology, General51

Biology, General40

Economics37

Natural Resources Conservation and Research30

English Language and Literature, General22

Computer and Information Sciences, General20

Political Science and Government18

Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services14

Mathematics14

Fine and Studio Arts13

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology12

Public Policy Analysis12

History12

Sociology11

Anthropology9

Neurobiology and Neurosciences7

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$45M

Full-time faculty

70%

Faculty salary

$9,044/mo

Teaching spend

$13,110

per student

Federal loans

43%

Classification

Carnegie type

Baccalaureate — arts & sciences

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, selective admissions