Saint Mary’s Ranks No. 1 Among Private Regional Universities in the West in 2027 US News Best Colleges Rankings

Saint Mary’s College of California has been named the No. 1 private institution among regional universities in the West in the 2027 US News & World Report Best Colleges rankings released today.

Saint Mary’s tied for the top position in the Top Private Schools – Regional Universities (West) category and ranked No. 3 overall among all public and private regional universities in the West. The College also earned high marks for value and for its service to veterans. These top-tier accolades mark the highest recognition yet for the College in the annual US News rankings.

Four Key Distinctions

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Saint Mary’s received four key distinctions in the 2027 rankings:

• No. 1 (tie), Top Private Schools – Regional Universities (West)
• No. 3 (tie), Regional Universities (West)
• No. 8, Best Value – Regional Universities (West)
• No. 10, Best Colleges for Veterans – Regional Universities (West)

“Anyone who has spent time on this campus already knows what this ranking confirms,” said Saint Mary’s President Roger J. Thompson. “Our students are known here. They are challenged here. And they leave prepared for what comes next. To be ranked first among private regional universities in the West is a tremendous honor, and the credit belongs to our faculty and staff, who do this work student by student, day in and day out.”

High Marks for Value — and a Top School for Veterans

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The College’s No. 8 Best Value ranking highlights Saint Mary’s commitment to making an outstanding private education accessible to students and families. Its top ten ranking among Best Colleges for Veterans recognizes the academic quality and support Saint Mary’s provides to veterans and active-duty service members.

“Our students are known here. They are challenged here. And they leave prepared for what comes next.”

— President Roger J. Thompson

“Our students receive a liberal arts education that stretches how they think, and they graduate prepared to put that learning to work,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Carol Ann Gittens. “What makes that distinctive at Saint Mary’s is the strength of the relationships between our faculty and students. Our faculty know their students, challenge them, and take a genuine interest in where they are headed.” 

Tremendous Opportunities and Close-Knit Community 

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Rooted in its Lasallian Catholic heritage, Saint Mary’s pairs rigorous academics with close faculty mentorship. Small classes, experiential learning, and a residential community give students the kind of attention and support that create tremendous opportunities for students from a wide range of backgrounds.

The latest recognition builds upon a growing list of national accolades for Saint Mary’s. The College was recently included in The Princeton Review’s Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition and recognized among its Best Western Colleges and as a Green College. Saint Mary’s was also named to Forbes’ 2027 list of America’s Top Colleges and recently received recognition from TIME. Earlier this year, SMC earned high marks as a top school for women from Newsweek and as a best value school from Money magazine. In its latest rankings, Washington Monthly esteems Saint Mary’s among the top 5% of colleges in the West with particularly high marks for student outcomes, as well as lauding the College as a top Hispanic-Serving Institution.

“These rankings are worth celebrating, but what matters most is what they tell prospective students and their families,” SMC’s President Thompson said. “Saint Mary’s offers the opportunities of an outstanding college inside a community small enough that students are actually seen. That is a rare combination, and one that sets us apart.”

Fifteen states included in the western US rankings—from California to Texas, Washington to Colorado, as well as Alaska and Hawaii. The complete 2027 US News & World Report Best Colleges rankings are available at usnews.com/best-colleges.

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