Best West: SMC students value “amazing relationships with professors thanks to the small classroom sizes” and faculty who “make sure that you know everything that you need to prepare you for life,” and are “always accessible for meetings and office hours because they want their students to succeed.” / Photo by Francis Tatem
Saint Mary’s Is an Ideal Choice for Students Looking for a ‘Best Fit,’ Writes the Princeton Review
In the list of top colleges for 2026, The Princeton Review highlights SMC as a “Best West” school, among the “Top 391 Colleges,” and earning recognition as a “Green School.”
In The Best 391 Colleges: 2026 Edition, The Princeton Review profiles and recommends Saint Mary’s College of California as one of the nation’s top higher education institutions for undergraduates. The organization also includes Saint Mary’s in the “Best West” listing of colleges by region. And it highlights SMC in the 2026 edition of The Princeton Review Guide to Green Schools.
The Best 391 Colleges is based on a national survey of some 170,000 students and includes only about 15% of four-year colleges in the United States. The guide also shares what students have to say about where they study.
As the guide notes, SMC students appreciate the fact the student-focused environment means “amazing relationships with professors thanks to the small classroom sizes.” Faculty “make sure that you know everything that you need to prepare you for life,” are “always accessible for meetings and office hours because they want their students to succeed,” and are "an incredible resource for internships, grad school, [and] jobs."
“Saint Mary’s is a place where students are seen, heard, and known,” says Roger J. Thompson, President of Saint Mary’s College of California. “And it’s wonderful to see The Princeton Review recognize once again what a special place this is—and what a unique student experience this community provides.”
“Here for us”
From Student Life and Club Sports to Career Services, “The staff have been here for all of us students every step of the way,” says one student. Along with hosting events throughout campus, the student-run Campus Activities Board also makes it easy to get to events throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. And with weather that is “beautiful no matter [the] time of year,” that’s something many students take advantage of.
One of the ways Saint Mary’s offers big-school energy in a tight-knit community is through a host of Division I sports. “Basketball is huge here,” notes one student. Indeed, the Gaels Men’s Basketball team regularly competes in the NCAA Tournament and earns recognition as one of the top teams in the country. In the past several years, Baseball and Softball have both won conference titles, and Women’s Soccer has garnered Coach of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year honors in the conference. When it comes to Men’s Rugby, the Gaels are a perennial contender for the national championship.
New Opportunities, Impressive Academics
Along with adding new academic programs over the past year—including a new major in Public Health and a bachelor’s program in Nursing—Saint Mary’s has been expanding opportunities for students in sports and activities. A new Aquatics program will introduce Swimming and Water Polo for both women and men. And expanded Spirit Team and Pep Band both open the programs to more students and bring more verve to game days.
What’s also clear in the guide: That sense of care defines who Saint Mary’s students are, too. “Communal, friendly, and intimate” are words students use to describe the nature of SMC—with the College providing active support for student groups.
“Saint Mary’s has outstanding academic programs and the feedback we received about the College from its students we surveyed was very impressive,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's Editor-in-Chief and lead author of The Best 391 Colleges. “We are delighted to name Saint Mary’s one of our Best Colleges for 2026 and to recommend it to students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college.”
A Commitment to Sustainability
Once again, Saint Mary’s earned a place in The Princeton Review's Guide to Green Schools. Based on student feedback, this list celebrates the schools that go above and beyond to show their commitment to sustainability.
In recent years, Saint Mary’s has also earned national recognition for its commitment to sustainable food and dining practices. Regionally, the College earned accolades as a leader in sustainability for partnering with local organizations in reducing waste. On the international stage, Saint Mary’s has led the conversation for Lasallian universities around the world—those founded by the Christian Brothers—on how to leverage the global community to advance sustainability initiatives.
