Marymount University

Private · Moderately Selective · VA

Photo: Kevin Bowman (CC BY 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationVA · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,810

Student:faculty14:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate41.9%

6-yr grad rate53.5%

Drop-out rate27.4%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$41k

Out-of-state tuition$41k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity75.1%

Gender diversity60.2%

International11.7%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

Marymount University is a Catholic university in Arlington, Virginia, founded by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary and located a short Metro ride from Washington, DC. It has grown from a women's college into a coeducational university serving a notably international and diverse undergraduate population, many drawn by the capital region's internship and career opportunities. The campus is compact and urban, spread across a few blocks near Ballston.

Academics

Nursing and other health professions are the university's signature strength, backed by clinical placements across the DC-Arlington hospital network. Marymount has also built a reputation in information technology, cybersecurity, and data science, fields that benefit from proximity to federal agencies and contractors. Business and forensic/legal studies round out the professional emphasis, and class sizes tend to be small with an applied, career-oriented curriculum.

Campus & student life

The Arlington campus is urban rather than traditionally green, with residence halls and academic buildings interspersed among city blocks near the Ballston-MU Metro stop. Many students use Metro access to intern or work in Washington, DC during the school year. Athletics compete at the Division III level, and the community skews commuter-influenced even among residential students given how easy it is to get into the city.

Getting in

Marymount's review is holistic rather than heavily formulaic, weighing fit for its professional programs alongside academic record. International applicants make up a substantial share of the pool, and the DC location is a central part of the university's pitch. Interviews are not typically required, but demonstrated interest in a specific program, especially nursing, can matter.

After graduation

Graduates in nursing and health professions place well into the region's hospital systems, and IT and cybersecurity graduates find a natural pipeline into the federal contractors and agencies clustered in Northern Virginia. The Washington, DC location functions as an extended internship market across majors.

Worth knowing

The university's identity has shifted markedly over recent decades, from a small Catholic women's college to a coeducational, internationally flavored institution; Catholic and Sacred Heart of Mary heritage remains present but not dominant in daily campus life. Its footprint is genuinely small relative to its host city.

marymount.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate93.2%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying