Welcome to SMC! “As we add new programs—from Nursing to Division I Aquatics,” says Saint Mary’s President Roger Thompson, “we are expanding opportunities while remaining true to the values that make Saint Mary’s such a special place.” / Photo by Francis Tatem
Best in the West: Saint Mary’s Ranks High Overall and Earns Recognition as a Best Value School, Says U.S. News & World Report
These accolades come on top of high marks from the Princeton Review and Money Magazine. SMC also earns a spot in the new book “Dream School,” focused on helping students and parents find a college that’s the right fit.
Saint Mary’s College of California once again earns a spot among top colleges and universities in the Best Regional Universities in the West category for 2025–26, according to the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report. This distinction comes on top of recent high marks from the Princeton Review and Money magazine, which spotlight Saint Mary’s for quality, affordability, and student outcomes.
Saint Mary’s has achieved top-tier rankings among West Coast universities for the past five years in the U.S. News rankings. Once again, SMC is the only Catholic university in California to make the Top 10—ranking No. 7 overall among the Best in the West. Additionally, SMC continues to earn a place in the top 5% for first-year student retention.
“Rankings are always gratifying, but what they truly reflect is the transformative education and community we strive to provide at Saint Mary’s.”
—President Roger Thompson
It’s notable that in these latest rankings, Saint Mary’s climbed a dozen spots to No. 13 in Best Value Schools – Regional Universities (West). Small class sizes and professors who know you by name are part of the Saint Mary’s student experience; U.S. News notes that the ratio of students to faculty is 10:1. Saint Mary’s earns high marks for empowering social mobility, and the College is ranked in the top third nationally when it comes to graduation rates for students receiving Pell grants, which are geared to support low-income students.
U.S. News also singles out Saint Mary’s as being among the top schools for veterans—and the only Catholic college among regional universities in the western U.S. to make the top 20 in that category.
“Rankings are always gratifying, but what they truly reflect is the transformative education and community we strive to provide at Saint Mary’s,” says President Roger Thompson. “Our recognition as both a top regional university and a best value school affirms that students are receiving an education rooted in the liberal arts, strengthened by our Lasallian mission, and enriched by close connections with faculty. As we add new programs—from Nursing to Division I Aquatics—we are expanding opportunities while remaining true to the values that make Saint Mary’s such a special place.”
Latest Accolades from The Princeton Review and Money Magazine
The U.S. News recognition for Saint Mary’s comes just a few weeks after The Princeton Review profiled SMC as one of the nation’s top higher education institutions for undergraduates in The Best 391 Colleges: 2026 Edition. That review is based on what students themselves say about the College.
Students once again highlight the College’s robust academic offerings and “amazing relationships with professors thanks to the small classroom sizes.” They appreciate the personalized attention that faculty and staff alike provide to ensure students' success. And students value how, with an ethnically and intellectually diverse student body, the people and mission of the College foster a sense of community. "From the first day of orientation I knew that the student body was very accepting,” writes one student.
The Princeton Review has also highlighted SMC among “Best Regional Colleges, West” and as a “Green School.”
Earlier this year, Saint Mary’s earned a spot in Money magazine’s “The Best Colleges in America 2025.” There, SMC receives high marks for quality, affordability, and student outcomes—critical factors for many students and families.
Finding the Right Fit: Saint Mary’s Recognized in “Dream School” and “Colleges That Changes Lives”
Saint Mary’s has been recognized as one of America’s “New Dream Schools” in a newly released book by New York Times bestselling author and higher education journalist Jeffrey Selingo. In Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You, Saint Mary’s appears on the national list in the “Hidden Values” category, which highlights colleges that deliver exceptional outcomes while remaining deeply committed to access, belonging, and affordability.
Selingo, whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, compiled the list from more than 3,900 US colleges. His research identifies schools where students thrive thanks to strong outcomes, accessible admissions, and a vibrant, supportive community.
You’ll also find Saint Mary’s highlighted in the guide Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges—the first Catholic college and the first university in California to make the list. The publication and digital list are widely recognized as essential reading for college-bound students—and valued by discerning parents—for the way they identify colleges that offer life-transforming educational experiences.
When it comes to nurturing a diverse community, Saint Mary’s receives a number of distinctions. Since 2015, Saint Mary’s has earned the designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution, with full-time equivalent undergraduate student enrollment that is at least 25% Hispanic. The College also earns recognition from the US Department of Education as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander–Serving Institution, helping to empower generations of underserved students.
