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Saint Mary’s Featured in The Princeton Review’s List of Top Colleges

SMC is “one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduates” and ideal choice for students looking for a “best fit.”

by Mike Janes, Office of Marketing & Communications | August 16, 2023

In The Best 389 Colleges: 2024 Edition, The Princeton Review profiles and as one of the nation’s top higher education institutions for undergraduates.

The guide is based on a national survey of more than 165,000 students. Students answered 85 questions to rate their colleges on dozens of topics and report on their campus experiences. 

What do students have to say about Saint Mary’s? They highlight the institution’s robust academic offerings, ethnically and intellectually diverse student body, and the stunning campus “that goes hand-in-hand with the chill vibe of the San Francisco Bay and the student population.” 

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Students and faculty member outside
Students and scholar: Professor of Biology Keith Garrison leads a discussion on genetics. / Photo by Francis Tatem

SMC students noted the 14:1 ratio of students to faculty that leads to “amazing relationships with professors thanks to the small classroom sizes.” In addition, students wrote, faculty “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.” 

The Princeton Review chooses the colleges for the guide based on data it annually collects from surveys of 2,000 college administrators about their institutions’ academic programs and other features. Students then offer their ratings, leading to the final selection.

“We salute Saint Mary’s for its outstanding academics, and its many other impressive offerings,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's editor-in-chief and lead author of The Best 389 Colleges. “We’re delighted to recommend it as an ideal choice for students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college.”   

Since 1992, has showcased the schools it recommends to college applicants and their parents as the nation’s best for undergraduate academics. 


EXPLORE MORE: Money Magazine Ranks Saint Mary’s as One of the Best Colleges in the Country

Saint Mary’s ranked No. 4 in the West by U.S. News

Saint Mary’s Commitment to Sustainability Earns a Nod in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges

MORE INFO OR VISIT: Get in touch with a member of the Saint Mary’s admissions team