Saint Mary's is renowned for quality education, teachers who care and great campus life, all of which adds up to making your time here some of the best years of your life.
Saint Mary's University is one of 153 schools receiving the "Best in the Midwest" designation for 2012 from the Princeton Review, a national college guide and ranking program. Results were announced this week.
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 a variety of 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.
The 629 colleges named regional bests (220 in the Northeast, 135 in the Southeast, 153 in the Midwest, and 121 in the West) represent only about 25 percent of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges.
For more information, go to www.princetonreview.com/best-regional-colleges.aspx. The website gives a profile of Saint Mary's, along with useful college selection features.
Saint Mary's ranked in U.S. News 'Best National Universities' survey
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota continues to move up in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of best colleges and universities.
Saint Mary’s is ranked No. 174 in the National Universities category of the U.S. News Best Colleges 2013 guidebook, moving up three slots from No. 177 in the 2012 guide.
“We’re elated that Saint Mary’s is being nationally recognized for its excellent educational experience,” said President Brother William Mann. “We’re a top-tier university that is meeting the needs and exceeding the expectations of its students at every level, from our undergraduate students to our doctoral students.”
U.S. News placed Saint Mary’s in the first tier of the “National Universities” category. This grouping includes schools that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees. This is the sixth year Saint Mary’s is ranked in this category.
Taking top honors in the “National Universities” ranking are Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University and Columbia University. Saint Mary’s is one of only three public or private schools in Minnesota in this category.
Along with the “National Universities” category, the other main U.S. News institutional groupings include “National Liberal Arts Colleges,” “Regional Universities,” and “Regional Colleges.”
U.S. News categorizes schools primarily by mission and region, and ranking data is gathered from each institution on indicators of academic excellence.
Forbes.com’s 2012 list of “America’s Top Colleges” ranks Saint Mary’s University as No. 306 out of 650 of “The Best Public and Private Colleges and Universities —from the student's point of view.”
SMU is also listed by Forbes as No. 235 in “Private Colleges,” No. 117 in “Research Universities,” and No. 70 “In the Midwest.” These rankings are significantly higher than last year, when SMU ranked 418 overall, 326 in “Private Colleges,” “139 in “Research Universities” and No. 105 “In the Midwest.”
The annual list of “America's Best Colleges,” ranks a select group of more than 650 undergraduate institutions — the top 20% of all undergraduate institutions – based on the quality of the education they provide, the experience of the students, and how much they achieve.
The annual ranking, which is assembled by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for College Affordability and Productivity, is based on schools’ performances in five categories: post-graduate success, student satisfaction, debt, four-year graduation rate, and competitive awards, according to Forbes.
Jim Bedtke, vice president for the College, said he is excited to see Saint Mary’s climb the Forbes “Top Colleges” list. “The Forbes listing is especially meaningful to us because it measures students’ satisfaction and opinion,” Bedtke said. “This study reaffirms that our students receive a quality education experience and are successful in their chosen careers. It also reflects that our students are able to graduate within four years and control their college tuition expenses.”
To view the entire list, visit www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list. To view Saint Mary's profile, visit www.forbes.com/colleges/saint-mary-s-university-of-minnesota.
WINONA, Minn. – Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is the nation’s top-ranked college for minorities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs, according to a recent Forbes report.
Forbes ranked colleges and universities for helping racial or ethnic minorities succeed in STEM programs. Forbes compared the percentages of blacks, Hispanics and American Indians (groups typically underrepresented in STEM) to whites and Asians (groups typically well-represented in STEM). Forbes excluded from its analysis those schools with a student body that is almost entirely minority students.
Saint Mary’s University offers STEM programs in its traditional four-year bachelor of arts program at its Winona campus, as well as STEM programs within the bachelor of science completion programs for adult learners at its Twin Cities campus.
The Forbes report cited data from the Saint Mary’s undergraduate graduating class in 2008. Forbes said that class included about 10 percent underrepresented minority students, just above the national median for ranked colleges. “But of those minority students,” Forbes said, “35 percent received their degrees in STEM – well above the median among all colleges, which is 10 percent.”
Bob Conover, vice president for communication, noted that Saint Mary’s undergraduate STEM programs “combine a strong academic component with opportunities for hands-on research and student interaction with professors. I believe it’s this combination which helps us reach underrepresented populations.” Conover added that “as a Lasallian Catholic university, Saint Mary’s is student-centered and committed to preparing learners for success in an increasingly complex and multicultural world.”
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"
