Photo: Steve Pribut (CC BY-SA 2.0)
School data & stats
Outcomes
Cost
Community
Overview
St. Mary's College of Maryland is the state's designated public honors college — a small, selective liberal arts college on the St. Mary's River, built adjacent to the site of Maryland's original colonial capital. It offers a private-college-style education, with small classes and close faculty contact, at public-university pricing, which is its core value proposition.
Academics
The curriculum is broadly liberal-arts, without large professional schools, and the honors-college designation means admissions and academic expectations run closer to a selective private college than to a typical state institution. Undergraduate research opportunities are genuine and accessible given the small scale.
Campus & student life
Sailing culture at St. Mary's is not symbolic — the waterfront is a real part of daily student life, with a competitive sailing team and casual recreational access to the river for the student body generally. The campus's proximity to Historic St. Mary's City, a living-history museum on the actual colonial capital site, gives it a sense of place unlike other Maryland public colleges.
Getting in
As Maryland's public honors college, St. Mary's admits more selectively than the state's other public universities and reviews applications holistically, weighing essays and academic rigor alongside grades.
Worth knowing
The private-college experience at public prices is the school's defining pitch, and it is a real one — students who want small classes and close mentorship without private-college costs should take St. Mary's seriously as an option within Maryland's public system.
Admissions
Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)
Applying
smcm.edu ↗High school coursework
Required4 units of English · 3 units of mathematics · 3 units of science (two areas, with lab) · 3 units of history or social sciences · 2 units of foreign (world) language
Recommended4 units of mathematics · 1 unit of fine or performing arts
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