St. Mary's College of Maryland
#8 Best Biology Colleges in Maryland- Graduation Rate
- 69% B-
- Solid completion rate — most students graduate
- Earnings (10yr)
- $60,110 B+
- Well above the typical college graduate
- Net Price
- $18,441 C-
- Close to the national average
- Acceptance Rate
- 69% B-
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 19.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $19.2 over 20 years. Ranked #8 in Best Biology Colleges in Maryland.
Every $1 spent returns $19.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,343,795.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Earnings 47% above the national college median.
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Every $1 invested returns $19.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why St. Mary's College of Maryland Matters
St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public liberal arts college in St. Mary's City, MD and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Liberal Arts College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate · Arts & Sciences
- Enrollment
- 1,603
- Setting
- Rural
- Primary Strengths
- Social Sciences, Biology & Biomedical, Psychology, Visual & Performing Arts
Why students choose St. Mary's College of Maryland
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Competitive — admits about 69% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1143–1340. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $18,441 a year after grants and scholarships — 8% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $60,110 ten years after enrolling — 47% above the typical college, against $21,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Strong cross-class social capital — an economic-connectedness score of 1.80 (Opportunity Insights).
See mobility →Overview
With an enrollment of about 1,600 students, St. Mary’s College of Maryland is a great fit for those who appreciate a close-knit community and a liberal arts education. The school stands out for its strong programs in Social Sciences, Biology and Biomedical fields, Psychology, Visual and Performing Arts, and English and Literature. This variety allows students to explore their interests deeply while preparing for diverse career paths.
Looking at what happens after graduation, alumni earn a median salary of $60,110 ten years post-degree. That’s a solid figure, especially considering the affordability of the college—the net price after aid is $18,441. This balance between cost and potential earnings is important. It suggests that students who choose St. Mary’s can find meaningful work that supports a comfortable lifestyle.
When it comes to financials, students graduate with a median debt of $21,000, which is manageable compared to the earnings potential. The 21% of students receiving Pell Grants indicates that the college is accessible for those from lower-income backgrounds. Students who thrive here typically value a collaborative learning environment and are eager to engage in their academic communities. This supportive atmosphere can lead to both personal and professional growth during and after college.
Rankings
- #8 Best Biology Colleges in Maryland
- #10 Best Bachelor's Programs in Maryland
- #10 Best Master's Programs in Maryland
- #10 Best Psychology Colleges in Maryland
- #21 Best Computer Science Colleges in Maryland
- #21 Best Data Science Colleges in Maryland
- #26 Best Business Colleges in Maryland
- #27 Best Colleges in Maryland
Can I Get In?
How selective St. Mary's College of Maryland is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into St. Mary's College of Maryland? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in St. Mary's City, Maryland, St. Mary's College of Maryland offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 69% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,261. The graduation rate is roughly 69%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 69%
- Retention Rate
- 86%
- SAT Average
- 1261
- ACT Midpoint
- 29
- SAT Range
- 1143–1340
- ACT Range
- 26–31
- Full-Time Faculty
- 70%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $9,044
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 10:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.50
- First-Gen Students
- 23%
- Applicants
- 2,934
- Admitted
- 2,268
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26
The acceptance rate tells you how hard St. Mary's College of Maryland is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 16% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.
- Yield Rate
- 16%
- of admits enroll
- Submitted SAT
- 22%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Submitted ACT
- 4%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Early Decision Admit Rate
- 77.2%
- vs 72.5% overall
Applying early pays off here. Of 101 Early Decision applicants, 78 were admitted — a 77.2% admit rate, roughly 1.1× the 72.5% rate for the overall pool. That binding round alone filled about 19% of the entering class (78 of 404 first-years). The catch: Early Decision is a commitment you make before you can compare aid offers.
Test-optional, in practice. Only about 26% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend St. Mary's College of Maryland? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at St. Mary's College of Maryland is $31,374, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $18,441. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $2,889 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $21,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $15,298
- Out-of-State
- $31,374
- Avg Net Price
- $18,441
- Median Debt
- $21,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 21%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 43%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $2,889
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $12,053
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $15,033
- Family Income $110K+
- $25,173
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at St. Mary's College of Maryland — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is St. Mary's College of Maryland Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of St. Mary's College of Maryland earn a median of $60,110, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $52,286
- 8 Years
- $57,190
- 10 Years
- $60,110
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.35x
- Earning > $25K
- 71%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (238)
- 63%
- 100% (238)
- 63%
- 100% (238)
- 63%
- 100% (238)
- 63%
How St. Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
College ROI Calculator
Is St. Mary's College of Maryland Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, St. Mary's College of Maryland delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $18,441/year ($73,764 total). Graduates earn $60,110 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,417,559 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,343,795 (19.2× your investment). The median debt is $21,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 69% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $73,764
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,417,559
- Net Return
- $1,343,795
- ROI Multiple
- 19.2×
- Cost Per Year
- $18,441
- Median Debt
- $21,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 69%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $160,600
- Investment Income
- $-364,950
Top Programs
The fields St. Mary's College of Maryland awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Social Sciences 17% $49,387 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 16% $31,037 early-career
- Psychology 13% $34,840 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 9% $26,368 early-career
- English & Literature 7% $39,544 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 6% $70,251 early-career
- Business & Marketing 6%
- Mathematics & Statistics 3% $69,768 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for St. Mary's College of Maryland's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into St. Mary's College of Maryland? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in St. Mary's City, Maryland, St. Mary's College of Maryland offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 69% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,261. The graduation rate is roughly 69%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend St. Mary's College of Maryland? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at St. Mary's College of Maryland is $31,374, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $18,441. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $2,889 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $21,000 in federal student loans.
Is St. Mary's College of Maryland Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of St. Mary's College of Maryland earn a median of $60,110, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
How Connected Is St. Mary's College of Maryland? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Its economic connectedness score is 1.80, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 14% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Does St. Mary's College of Maryland offer Early Decision, and does it improve admission chances?
Yes. St. Mary's College of Maryland offers a binding Early Decision plan, and it carries a real advantage: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 77%, about 1.1 times the overall 73% acceptance rate, and ED filled roughly 19% of the entering class. Because ED is binding, it makes sense only if St. Mary's College of Maryland is a clear first choice and you can commit before comparing aid offers (2025-26 Common Data Set).
Is St. Mary's College of Maryland really test-optional?
In practice, yes. Only about 26% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at St. Mary's College of Maryland (2025-26 Common Data Set).
What percentage of admitted students enroll at St. Mary's College of Maryland?
About 16% of admitted students choose to enroll at St. Mary's College of Maryland — its yield rate (2025-26 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to St. Mary's College of Maryland.
- Canisius UniversityBuffalo, NY · Close peer69% grad $60,681 earn 72% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Daemen UniversityAmherst, NY · Close peer59% grad $61,808 earn 68% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
- Madonna UniversityLivonia, MI · Close peer59% grad $59,058 earn 63% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
- Luther CollegeDecorah, IA · Close peer73% grad $59,850 earn 72% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- North Park UniversityChicago, IL · Close peer57% grad $59,572 earn 69% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
- McDaniel CollegeWestminster, MD · Close peer64% grad $60,663 earn 78% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is St. Mary's College of Maryland? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Its economic connectedness score is 1.80, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 14% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note