What is the acceptance rate at Saint Mary's College?

Saint Mary's College's acceptance rate is approximately 76% (Notre Dame, IN), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.

What SAT score do you need for Saint Mary's College?

Admitted students at Saint Mary's College typically score 1130–1325 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.

How much does Saint Mary's College cost?

At Saint Mary's College, the average net price (after aid) is about $25,292 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.

How many undergraduates attend Saint Mary's College?

Saint Mary's College enrolls approximately 1,458 undergraduate students.

Where is Saint Mary's College located?

Saint Mary's College is located in Notre Dame, IN.

Saint Mary's College: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Cost — QuantAdmit

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Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, INprivate nonprofitsaintmarys.edu

Acceptance

76%

SAT 25–75

1130–1325

Avg net price

$25,292

Earnings (10 yr)

$59,354

Graduation rate

69%

Admit rate has ranged 81%–84% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.

Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.

Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, is a small, tight-knit Catholic women's college with a strong liberal arts core and a reputation for fostering leadership and service. Known for its personalized education and close faculty mentorship, it attracts academically driven students who thrive in a supportive, community-oriented environment. The college's proximity to the University of Notre Dame enriches social and academic opportunities while maintaining its distinct identity.

Admission requirements

Test-optional — scores considered if submitted

Required

High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
TOEFL (non-native English)

Considered (not required)

Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program

Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.

More details

Undergrad enrollment: 1,458
In-state tuition: $53,230
Out-of-state tuition: $53,230
Type: Private, Catholic women's college
Location: Notre Dame, IN
Acceptance Rate: ~82%
On-Campus Housing: 67% of students
Student-Faculty Ratio: Not specified in sources
4-Year Graduation Rate: 64%
Undergraduate Enrollment: ~1,500
Median Early-Career Salary: $45,000

Outcomes & value

Median earnings (10 yr): $59,354
Value (earnings ÷ net price): 2.3×
Median debt at graduation: $27,000
Graduation rate: 69%
First-year retention: 88%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr): 84%
Pell (lower-income) share: 39%
First-generation share: 20%
Endowment / student: $220,754

Financial health

2.2 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard

U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.

Top-earning majors

Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$59,599
Business Administration, Management and Operations$53,537
Political Science and Government$45,715
Communication and Media Studies$41,342
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$40,737
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Campus & location

Campus safety

On-campus violent crimes (2024): 1
Per 1,000 students: 0.69

On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.

Climate

Pleasant days / yr: 88
Summer high: 81°F
Winter low: 23°F
Annual rain: 43.7"
Annual snow: 33.1"
Natural-hazard risk: Relatively Moderate

Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.

Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility

Research output

Institutional h-index: 1
Scholarly works: 26

Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.

Economic mobility

Mobility rate: 0.6%
Bottom → top quintile: 33%
From bottom quintile: 2%

Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.

Quick answers

What is the acceptance rate at Saint Mary's College?: Saint Mary's College's acceptance rate is approximately 76% (Notre Dame, IN), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Saint Mary's College?: Admitted students at Saint Mary's College typically score 1130–1325 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Saint Mary's College cost?: At Saint Mary's College, the average net price (after aid) is about $25,292 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Saint Mary's College?: Saint Mary's College enrolls approximately 1,458 undergraduate students.
Where is Saint Mary's College located?: Saint Mary's College is located in Notre Dame, IN.

Admissions

Saint Mary's College maintains a moderately selective admissions process, with an around 82% (though sources vary slightly). The middle 50% of admitted students typically have high school GPAs between 3.25–3.91, SAT scores between 1030–1260, and ACT scores between 22–28. Notably, 47% of admitted first-years have a GPA of 3.91 or higher, and 15% have ACT scores of 31+. The college offers early action but does not require standardized test scores for admission consideration.

saintmarys.edu thoughtco.com liberalartscolleges.com saintmarys.edu

Academics

Saint Mary's offers a liberal arts-focused curriculum with over 150 undergraduate programs, including popular majors in Psychology, Elementary Education, Nursing, Neuroscience, and Accounting. The college emphasizes interdisciplinary learning and personalized academic paths, allowing students to combine majors, minors, and concentrations. Small class sizes and close faculty mentorship are hallmarks, with a strong focus on integrating leadership and service into the academic experience. The 10-month education program is particularly noted for its rigorous preparation in child and adolescent development.

saintmarys.edu