Mount St. Mary's University

Private · Moderately Selective · MD

Photo: Guoguo12 (CC0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMD · South

SettingRural

Undergrads1,768

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate62.5%

6-yr grad rate65.4%

Drop-out rate29.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$49k

Out-of-state tuition$49k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity52.9%

Gender diversity50.3%

International5%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

Mount St. Mary's University sits in the Catoctin Mountains near Emmitsburg, Maryland, and is among the oldest Catholic institutions of higher education in the country. The campus houses a major seminary alongside the undergraduate university, and the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes adjoins the mountainside grounds, giving the campus a distinctly devotional character beyond most Catholic universities.

Academics

Business, education, and criminal justice are the most established undergraduate programs, all built on a strong liberal-arts core rooted in the university's faith tradition. Philosophy and theology carry particular depth given the seminary's presence on campus, and students can interact with seminarians and religious life in ways uncommon at other Catholic universities.

Campus & student life

The Catoctin Mountain setting is remote and scenic, with the Grotto shrine drawing pilgrims and giving the campus a quieter, more contemplative feel than a typical college town. Most students live on campus given the rural location. Athletics, including a notable basketball tradition, compete at the Division I level, unusual visibility for a university this size.

Getting in

The application process is holistic, and religious mission and fit matter more here than at many Catholic universities with a more secular general-education core. Merit aid is a meaningful part of the university's pitch to strong applicants weighing it against larger Catholic institutions.

After graduation

Business and criminal justice graduates place into the greater Washington-Baltimore-Frederick region, and the seminary track feeds ordained ministry within the Catholic Church. The alumni network carries a strong Catholic and mid-Atlantic character.

Worth knowing

The active seminary on campus and the adjoining Grotto shrine make Mount St. Mary's a more overtly devotional environment than most Catholic universities, worth knowing for students weighing how central religious practice should be to their four years. Division I athletics on a campus this size is also distinctive.

msmary.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate73.8%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1046–1280 · ACT 19–27

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying