Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

Private · Moderately Selective · IN

Photo: Ron Frazier (CC BY 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationIN · Midwest

SettingRural

Undergrads853

Student:faculty9:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate37%

6-yr grad rate46.6%

Drop-out rate38.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$35k

Out-of-state tuition$35k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity20.3%

Gender diversity68.6%

International0.1%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, founded by the Sisters of Providence on a wooded historic campus near Terre Haute, Indiana, is one of the nation's oldest Catholic colleges for women and is now coeducational. Its wooded, historic grounds and religious founding give it a quieter, contemplative character distinct from larger state schools in the region.

Academics

Equine studies and education are longtime signature programs, and the college has an unusually long history in distance education, having run correspondence-style degree programs for adult learners for decades before online learning became standard elsewhere.

Campus & student life

The campus is small, wooded, and steeped in its founding sisters' history, including a historic chapel and convent buildings still in active use; the equestrian center supports a visible riding and equine-studies culture on campus.

Worth knowing

The college's long-running distance education arm means it serves two quite different populations - traditional-age residential students on the wooded campus and adult learners studying remotely - under one institution.

smwc.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate72.4%

Enrolled mid-50%1080

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying