St. Mary's College

Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women's liberal arts college offering five bachelor's degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary's ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2012 in the U.S.News & World Report.

Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary's College's mission is to educate women and prepare them for postgraduate success whether it's a first job, graduate school, or postgraduate service. At the end of four years, our students know their strengths, know what they stand for, and are ready to take on whatever comes next. Through a process of self-discovery and academic challenges, young women develop their voices, minds, faith, and values, empowering them to make a difference in society.

Saint Mary's College has a tradition of offering a solid liberal arts foundation in an atmosphere that encourages open discussion and close collaboration with professors and classmates. At Saint Mary's, students don't sit back and listen, they explore firsthand the subjects and issues important to them. Engaging classroom discussion, graduate-level research alongside professors, group projects, professional presentations, internships, and field placement provide our students with knowledge and the real-life experience to back it up. These interactions give students the skills to communicate effectively, think analytically, and discern ethically, preparing them to confidently pursue future endeavors.

And, beginning with the class of 2016, the College is introducing the Sophia Program, an outcomes-based approach to general education that is uniquely Saint Mary's. The program underscores the importance of women's voices, social responsibility, and intercultural competence.

Saint Mary's educates students to meet global challenges and gives them the cultural acumen to be engaged world citizens. Students may study abroad through semester, yearlong, and summer programs in cities in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, and the United States. In November 2011, the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange recognized our study abroad program in three areas, including ranking us seventh for the number of undergraduate students studying abroad for an academic year.

Service and leadership meet and meld here. The Student Government Association, Dance Marathon fundraiser for Riley Hospital for Children, and the Diverse Students' Leadership Conference are examples of the campus endeavors, clubs, and humanitarian projects that students lead. Service is integral to campus life with 80 percent of students participating by the time they graduate (the national average is 55 percent).

The College's single-gender environment has been proven, in study after study, to foster confidence, ethical leadership, and strong academic success. Saint Mary's alumnae include our own College president, a Broadway producer, a federal judge, a New York Times bestselling author, three congresswomen in the U.S. House of Representatives, and a groundbreaking researcher for the United Nations. Our students pursue graduate degrees at institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Notre Dame. They receive Fulbright fellowships, Oxford internships, and service opportunities with the Peace Corps and Teach for America.

Located near South Bend, Saint Mary's lies approximately 90 miles east of
Chicago. Notre Dame is across the street, and many of its resources and events are open to Saint Mary's students, providing the exciting atmosphere of a large university.

Above all, our students see Saint Mary's as a second home, where their minds, hearts, and spirits are shaped for a lifetime.