That is what we are going to do here. We are going to read the official data this college reported to the United States government—not its brochure, not its marketing page—and translate it into something you can use this week with your daughter, at your table, with your real budget in front of you.
What Kind of School It Is
Saint Mary's College is a private, nonprofit, four-year college classified by the Carnegie system as an institution focused on arts and sciences bachelor's degrees. It is small and highly residential: at the time of the most recent report of this kind, at least half of its undergraduate students lived in housing owned by or affiliated with the school, and eight out of ten attended full time. It is also categorized as selective within its admissions group.
What does "highly residential" mean for your wallet? It means that room and board almost never come in the same figure as the tuition shown in the brochure. Ask for them separately, with the meal plan included, before comparing this school with any other on your list.
It is in Notre Dame, Indiana, in St. Joseph County, within the South Bend-Mishawaka metropolitan area. The census code places it in a suburb: inside the urbanized area but outside the city center. If your daughter were thinking about living at home and commuting every day, that would not apply here unless you already live in the area; and even then, I recommend driving the route on a weekday at the actual time of her classes. The time shown on the map is almost never the real travel time.
It is an institution that reports offering programs through the doctoral level, although that is a general institutional fact: it does not tell you whether the specific major your daughter is interested in exists or whether there is a clear undergraduate-to-graduate pathway in that field. That must be confirmed program by program.
And one clarification worth understanding: Saint Mary's College does not appear in the federal directory as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. That is not a judgment; those are three different categories with different histories, and this school simply does not fall into any of the three. That says nothing about how your daughter would feel there. Ask directly: what student organizations exist today, what cultural centers are available, and, better yet, speak with someone who already attends the school.
Who Will Share the Classroom With Your Daughter
One figure stands out: the percentage of women among undergraduates rounds to 100. It is a predominantly women's college, and that "100" is a rounded figure, not a claim that no men are enrolled.
As for Latino diversity: Hispanic or Latino students account for 14 out of every 100 undergraduates. It is a small minority, although compared with the other 941 selective private schools in the same census, it ranks above the midpoint of that group. If it is important to your family that your daughter find a Latino community on campus, this figure does not close the door, but it does tell you what to ask during the visit: what student group exists, whether there is a cultural center, and whether anyone in the office speaks Spanish.
There are almost no adult students: only 1 out of every 100 is between 25 and 64 years old. And here is something interesting about geography: fewer than half of first-time students—34 out of every 100—had permanent residence in Indiana. The rest came from other states or other countries, or their residence was not clearly reported. This figure does not measure distance or travel cost, but if your daughter would live far away, it is worth building your budget around actual flights and ground travel, not what appears in the official cost of attendance, which only estimates "other expenses" generically.
As for size: total enrollment is 1,518, with undergraduate enrollment at 1,424 and graduate enrollment at just 94. Above all, it is an undergraduate college. Compared with similar schools, its size is among the most common: neither among the large schools nor among the small ones. And here is a simple truth that always applies: being large does not mean more options, and being small does not mean more attention for your daughter. Ask about her specific major, not the school's overall size.
How Academics Work
The academic year is organized into semesters, two terms of about 15 weeks each. The school accepts credit for AP exams, but it did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience. And here is something many families wrongly assume: accepting AP does not mean awarding automatic credit for every exam. We do not know what scores are required or whether those credits count toward your daughter's major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before she enrolls. Do not budget for the savings until they have been confirmed.
The academic offerings are broadly distributed: in the most recently reported year, bachelor's degree conferrals totaled 326 across 19 program families, and none accounted for more than 20 out of every 100 degrees—the largest was health professions. This is not a school dominated by a single field.
One figure is worth emphasizing: the student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 8 to 1, one of the lowest among 941 similar schools—in the group's bottom quartile. It is an aggregate figure, and a low ratio does not by itself guarantee small classes: it relates institutional numbers rather than counting seats in a classroom. Ask directly how many students are in the first-year classes your daughter would take.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research, and teacher-certification preparation pathways, including state approval for initial certification. If your daughter is interested in teaching, this is a concrete sign worth investigating further.
What It Takes to Get In
This is what generates the most questions, so let us take it slowly.
Saint Mary's College does not have open admission: it reviews several elements before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, four are required: the high school record, high school GPA, letters of recommendation, and an English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Other elements are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, the curriculum completed, the personal essay, and work experience.
One practical figure: the published undergraduate application fee is $0.
And here is something very specific you can do now: letters of recommendation are required. Request them a month in advance, and give the teacher a sheet describing what your daughter has done over these years. No one remembers everything without help.
Now for the question that matters most: how hard is it to get in?
Of 2,377 first-time applicants in the most recent cycle, 1,928 received an offer of admission. That comes to 81 out of every 100. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, it is near the middle of the group, slightly above the midpoint. Seven or eight out of every ten applicants receive a yes. That does not mean admission is automatic, but it does mean your daughter has a real reason to apply—and a reason not to leave it until the last minute. And remember: this figure comes from a single cycle. If more applicants apply in your daughter's year and the number of available places does not grow, the figure will fall on its own. Check it again when it is time for her to apply.
Here is a figure that confuses many families: out of every 100 people admitted, only 22 enrolled. The other 78 had an acceptance in hand and chose another school. Do not read this as a blemish—the federal record does not say why each person made that decision. What it does tell you is this: receiving an acceptance letter is not the same as deciding to attend. And most importantly, what others decided does not tell you what the school will offer you. Wait for your letter with the net price—what the year would actually cost you—before deciding whether this school stays on the list.
As for standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If your daughter submits them, they are considered; if she does not, her application remains valid. Among those who did submit the SAT, the middle half scored between 560 and 650 in reading and writing, and between 540 and 660 in mathematics. Be careful: those ranges describe students who had already enrolled and chose to submit scores. They are not minimums or guarantees, and we do not know whether the scores influenced their admission.
As for transfers: few students arrive here by transferring—the most recent count was just 17—and few of those who entered as first-time students transfer to another school: 14 out of every 100 within the standard period, a low share compared with similar schools. This figure does not say what happened to the rest: they may have graduated, remained enrolled, or stopped attending college.
The Sticker Price
This is where many families stop short, and with good reason. For the 2023-24 year, the reported cost of attendance for a first-time, full-time student living on campus was $67,180. That figure is the same whether you are from Indiana or out of state.
Broken down: $51,430 for tuition and fees, $13,850 for housing and food, and $250 for books and materials. The rest is an estimate of other expenses—transportation, laundry, entertainment—made by the financial aid office itself.
Compared with 888 similar private schools, this total falls above the midpoint of the group. It is an expensive school within its own category.
But—and this is what I want you to remember—this is the sticker price, not your family's bill. Complete the FAFSA. Ask for the aid letter in writing. Until you have it in hand, you do not know how much this school costs for your family.
What Families Actually Pay
At Saint Mary's College, among 37 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $17,918. Among 21 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $21,529; among 120 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $33,026. For dependent students, the bracket combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income bracket (37 students) and the average for the highest-income bracket (120 students) is $15,108. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship, the average was $30,389.
$17,918 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the aid letter.
Because the price changes so much from one income bracket to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income brackets in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The aid letter sent to you is what matters.
How Students Pay Here
Practically all degree-seeking students receive some type of scholarship or aid: the figure reached 100 (rounded, meaning all or almost all). Among those who received it, the average was $35,913 for the year. It is real money, but it is not a price: what matters is the amount left after aid, and that varies from person to person.
The federal Pell Grant—for low-income families—reached 24 out of every 100 students.
Now for the loan portion, which deserves your full attention. 59 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the most recently reported year. That is more than half. Among those who borrowed, the average amount was $6,265 that year.
Financing with debt is common here, not the exception. If your daughter borrowed a similar amount each year throughout the four years of her degree, the total would be around $25,060, not counting interest. That figure is decided before the first signature, not at the end. And remember: that average covers only federal loans in the student's name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduating—to calculate that, you would have to add all four years, and that figure is not in this report.
This percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your daughter would need to borrow comes from her own financial aid letter. Wait for that letter before committing to the school.
One practical detail: the institution offers an installment tuition payment plan, in case that helps organize the family budget.
Campus Life and Support
Saint Mary's College has its own housing and does not require all first-time students to live there—although that does not mean no program requires it; ask about your daughter's specific situation. The reported maximum housing capacity is 1,395 students. Meal plans are also available, with a fixed number of meals per week under the largest plan. The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed: request the rate, the housing application deadline, and whether the school guarantees a place or your daughter would go on a waiting list, all in writing.
The school reports an ROTC opportunity in all three branches: Army, Navy, and Air Force—something uncommon; only 135 out of 3,012 universities in the directory indicate all three. But checking the box does not confirm that the program operates on this particular campus, that space is available, or that a scholarship is offered. Ask about each branch separately.
It competes in NCAA-affiliated intercollegiate athletics, with reported membership in basketball and cross-country or track and field. If sports matter to your daughter, write directly to the coach: ask about a place on the team, the division, and whether an athletic scholarship is available.
It offers undergraduate and graduate distance education, although in the most recent count, no undergraduate student took an entire course load remotely. The school did report having at least one fully distance-based program available, but that must be confirmed for the exact level and major.
The library has employed staff, a physical and digital collection, and interlibrary loan. Reported services also include combined academic and career counseling, employment services for students, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program (relevant to families with military connections), and a published address for services for students with disabilities.
Do Students Who Arrive Stay and Graduate?
For many families, this is the central question: if my daughter enrolls here, will she finish?
Let us start with first-year retention. Of 397 students who entered for the first time in 2022, 332 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later: 84 out of every 100. Compared with 930 similar schools, this figure places it in the upper portion of the group. The rest—65 students—did not meet that criterion, and the data do not say what happened to them: transferring to another school and continuing to study there is counted differently from leaving college, but the figure does not separate one case from the other.
Now graduation. Of the cohort that started in 2017, 277 out of 362 students graduated within six years: 77 out of every 100. At four years, the figure is 71 out of every 100—just 6 points lower, a small gap suggesting that those who graduate here tend to do so on time. Compared with 920 similar schools, this rate places it in the top quartile.
And looking further out, at eight years: of a cohort that entered in 2015-16, 75 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school as of 2023. Among students with Pell Grants, the figure was 73 out of every 100—just 3 points below the rest. Here too, it ranks in the top quartile among comparable schools.
These are high figures, and it is worth saying so with the same honesty used when discussing difficult figures: a high percentage is not a promise for your daughter in particular. It describes what happened to an earlier cohort. What is within your control is making sure she begins with her credits in order and knows, from the first semester, who her academic advisor is and when students register for courses in her major.
How to Put All of This Together
You now know an important part of this decision: what kind of school Saint Mary's College is, who makes up its student body, how selective it is in practice, what its sticker price is and what families with incomes similar to yours have paid, how most students finance their education there, and how likely the data indicate that those who enroll will stay and graduate.
What this article cannot know is what your daughter wants, what she has built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. You know those things, not a federal report.
If the sticker price frightened you, ask for the aid letter before crossing the school off your list: the actual net price, based on income, may be much lower. If debt concerns you, calculate the full cost of all four years before the first signature, not afterward. If you are looking for a Latino community on campus, ask directly what exists today, not what a brochure says. And if the question is whether your daughter will complete her degree, the figures say that most students here finish and do so on time—but the work of making sure she is part of that majority begins with something as simple as knowing, from the first semester, who her advisor is.
With this information in hand, you can sit down with your daughter and the rest of the information you are gathering and begin building a real plan among the three of you.
Source: institutional data reported by Saint Mary's College to the United States Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), primarily corresponding to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Saint Mary's College or any government agency; this article organizes and explains publicly available information for families to use in their own decision-making process.