Forbes.com's 2009 list of "America's Best Colleges" ranks Saint Mary's University as No. 230 out of 600 of "the best public and private colleges and universities - from the student's point of view."

The second-annual ranking of "America's Best Colleges," compiled by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, ranks 600 undergraduate institutions based on the quality of the education they provide, the experience of the students and how much they achieve.

• They based 25 percent of the rankings on 4 million student evaluations of courses and instructors, as recorded on the website RateMyProfessors.com.
• Another 25 percent is based on post-graduate success, equally determined by enrollment-adjusted entries in "Who's Who in America," and by a new metric, the average salaries of graduates reported by Payscale.com.
• An additional 20 percent is based on the estimated average student debt after four years.
• One-sixth of the rankings are based on four-year college graduation rates - half of that is the actual graduation rate, the other half the gap between the average rate and a predicted rate based on characteristics of the school.
• The last component is based on the number of students or faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards like Rhodes Scholarships or Nobel Prizes.

Forbes.com states, "To our way of thinking, a good college is one that meets student needs. While some college rankings are based partly on school reputation as evaluated by college administrators and on the amount of money spent, we focus on things which directly concern incoming students: Will my courses be interesting and rewarding? Will I get a good job after I graduate? Is it likely I will graduate in four years? Will I incur a ton of debt getting my degree?"

Dr. Tom Mans, vice president for academic affairs, said he is pleased that Saint Mary's is on the Forbes list. "It shows that our students are happy with the experience they receive here, and that they graduate to have successful careers and be productive members of their communities," Dr. Mans said. "The Forbes listing reinforces positive reports from other student satisfaction surveys, such as the National Survey of Student Engagement."

Complete college rankings

Saint Mary's University profile

The Forbes.com list includes several Minnesota Colleges including: Carleton College (No. 23), Macalester College (No. 82), St. Olaf College (No. 139), Gustavus Adolphus College (No. 194), Bethel University (No. 229), Hamline University (No. 255), Northwestern College (No. 291), St. John's University (No. 442), University of Minnesota, Morris (No. 448), Concordia College Moorhead (No. 450), College of St. Benedict (No. 512), University of St. Thomas (No. 523), University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (No. 543), St. Catherine University (No. 563), Minnesota State University, Mankato, (No. 595) and St. Cloud State University (No. 599).

Saint Mary's also ranks well compared to other Catholic schools. The undergraduate Office of Admission compiled the following list – Catholic institutions also being honored by Forbes this year.

Catholic institutions

Saint Mary's University is one of 158 schools receiving the "Best in the Midwest" designation for 2010 from the Princeton Review, a national college guide and ranking program.

Each year, the Princeton Review profiles colleges and universities that "stand out as academically excellent institutions of higher learning." The Princeton Review survey asks students to rate their own schools on several issues – from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food – and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and their campus life. The Princeton Review is a New York City-based company known for test-preparation courses, education services and books; it is not affiliated with Princeton University.

Other Minnesota schools included on Princeton Review's 2010 "Best in the Midwest" list are: Augsburg, Carleton, Crown College, Gustavus Adolphus, Hamline, Macalester, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, North Central University, St. Catherine, St. Olaf, St. Scholastica, St. Thomas, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities and Crookston campuses) and Winona State University.

The 639 colleges named regional bests (217 in the Northeast, 141 in the Southeast, 158 in the Midwest, and 123 in the West) represent only about 25 percent of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges.

Princeton Review Best Regional Colleges

Princeton Review profile of Saint Mary's

Saint Mary's listed in U.S. News 'Best National Universities' survey

U.S. News & World Report's 2010 edition of America's Best Colleges has ranked Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in its "Best National Universities" survey for 2010. The annual listing of more than 1,400 schools is available online at www.usnews.com. Rankings were announced Aug. 20.

Saint Mary's is ranked in the third tier of the 262-school U.S. News "National Universities" category. Last year, U.S. News listed Saint Mary's in the fourth tier of this category. The third tier includes schools ranked 134 through 190 and is not ranked numerically. A sampling of other universities in the third tier includes De Paul University, George Mason University, Seton Hall University, the University of St. Thomas and St. John’s University in New York.

Taking top honors in the "National Universities" category are Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University and the California Institute of Technology. Saint Mary's, St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota are the only Minnesota schools represented in this category.

The "National Universities" category includes 164 public and 98 private institutions from across the U.S. that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors as well as master's and doctoral degrees.

U.S. News & World Report ranks "National Universities" in a top tier, third tier and fourth tier. Its other institutional categories include: "Liberal Arts Colleges," "Universities-Master's" and "Baccalaureate Colleges."

In 2006, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching reclassified SMU from a master's comprehensive to a doctoral institution. This change in Carnegie basic classification for SMU placed it in the "National Universities" category for the U.S. News & World Report starting with the 2008 report. In 2007, SMU was in the first tier of U.S. News’ "Midwestern Colleges and Universities with Master Degree Programs" category.

The method that U.S. News uses to rank colleges and universities consists of three basic steps. The schools are categorized primarily by mission and region, and data is gathered from each institution on indicators of academic excellence. The indicators used to measure academic excellence fall into seven categories: assessment by administrators at peer institutions, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, and (for national universities and liberal arts colleges) graduation rate performance. The indicators include input measures that reflect a school’s student body, its faculty, and its financial resources, along with outcome measures that signal how well the institution does its job of educating students.

US News Profile of Saint Mary's

Our most recent NSSE results show that Saint Mary’s provides a distinctive and superior college experience compared with other colleges nationally and even with other small, liberal arts colleges in the Midwest. In many important categories, our students’ responses were much more favorable than the comparison groups.

Here are some noteworthy characteristics of the Saint Mary’s experience:

We provide students what they need to succeed in College and in professional life.
Seniors in the College were more likely to report that Saint Mary’s:

• provided support needed to help succeed academically.
• provided support they needed to thrive socially.
• emphasized helping them cope with non-academic responsibilities (work, family etc.).
• contributed to their self-understanding.

Students have valuable interactions with faculty in and out of class. Nearly 90% of Saint Mary’s seniors responding to the survey said faculty members were available, helpful and sympathetic. They were also more likely to indicate that they:

• discussed ideas from readings or classes with a faculty member outside of class.
• worked with faculty members on activities other than coursework (committees, student orientation etc.).
• talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor.
• found the overall quality of academic advising to be excellent or good.

We promote cooperation and connection. Saint Mary’s seniors were more likely to report that:

• they worked frequently with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments.
• they experienced friendly and supportive relationships with other students, and a sense of belonging.

Our students engage in a variety of enriching activities in a residential setting. Saint Mary’s seniors were much more likely to indicate that they:

• attended an art exhibit, gallery, play, dance or other theater performance.
• found Saint Mary’s emphasized attending campus events and activities (special speakers, cultural performances etc.).
• spent time participating in co-curricular activities (clubs and organizations, campus publications, student government etc.).
• exercised or participated in physical fitness activities.

We are academically rigorous. Saint Mary’s seniors:

• reported a higher level of academic challenge as compared to the average of all surveyed schools.
• were assigned more books and readings.
• were required to write more papers of 5 pages or less, 5-19 pages, and 20 or more pages.
• were much more likely to have done a culminating senior experience (comprehensive exam, capstone course, thesis, project etc.).
• were more likely to say that Saint Mary’s coursework emphasized applying theories/concepts to practical problems or to new situations.

Our Lasallian mission is alive in our students. Saint Mary’s seniors were much more likely to indicate that:

• Saint Mary’s contributed to their development of a deepened sense of spirituality.
• Saint Mary’s contributed to their development of a personal code of values and ethics.
• they participated in a community-based project (e.g., service learning) as part of a regular course.
• Saint Mary’s facilitated their contributions to the welfare of their community

Students are pleased with their Saint Mary’s experience.

• 88% of Saint Mary’s seniors rated their college experience as good or excellent.
• 83% of seniors stated they would pick Saint Mary’s if they could start their college experience over again.

USA Today NSSE coverage
"Beyond rankings: A new way to look for a college"
"Faculty play role outside class as mentors, models"