Mount St. Mary’s University placed third among Maryland’s 12 ranked public and private regional universities, and 44th of 171 institutions in the North region in U.S. News & World Report ‘s Best Regional Universities rankings for 2022. The university also earned spots on the U.S. News lists for Best Value Schools and Best Colleges for Veterans.
“These rankings are a result of the university’s focus on student success as demonstrated by our excellent academic and co-curricular programs with top-notch faculty,” said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “We are proud to offer a vibrant education, not only to a growing number of students from Maryland but also nationwide and worldwide. This year we our second largest number of undergraduates ever and our STEM programs have grown by more than 30% in the past four years.”
The Best Regional University rankings are comprised of several factors, including average first-year student retention rate, class size, student selectivity, social mobility, student-to-faculty ratio, financial resources per student, graduate indebtedness, and retention and average six-year graduation rate. Additionally, it included a peer assessment score and weighed the institution’s average alumni giving rate.
Slightly more than 40% of North regional universities qualified as Best Value Colleges. The Mount remained at No. 23 on the list after moving up nine places between 2019 and 2020. The university supports students with strong financial aid packages and ensures that the tuition rate is competitive. Nearly 100% of students receive merit and/or need-based financial aid.
The Mount, which proudly has enrolled 67 veterans in fiscal year 2021, was again recognized as a top 50 institution in the 2022 Best Colleges for Veterans rankings for the North region, placing 45th. These rankings are designed to “provide military veterans and active-duty service members with data on which top-ranked schools offer benefits that can help them make pursuing a college education more affordable,” according to U.S. News. Fewer than 30% of the ranked universities in the North qualified for this list.
“The responsibility and work ethic that our veterans demonstrate not only set a great example for their classmates, but help them succeed in their academic and career pursuits after their military service has concluded,” said Trainor, who served as dean and chief academic officer at the United States Military Academy before retiring as a brigadier general after a 33-year career with the Army. “Creating a place where we can serve those who served our country and put their lives at risk is especially important to me.”
In 2019, the Mount became part of the veterans’ work-study program, funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Under the program, a veteran work-study student, based in the registrar’s office, is available to guide prospective and current veteran students on how to use their GI Bill benefits, provide assistance finding veteran-specific scholarships or supply information about education benefits available for their families.