Also Ranked No. 1 in Four-Year Graduation Rate
ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. (January 6, 2010) — Kiplinger magazine’s February 2010 annual ranking of the 100 Best Value public colleges and universities in the country ranked St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) No. 2 among all Maryland public colleges and universities with the highest four-year graduation rate in the state. SMCM was also ranked the No. 4 public liberal arts college in the nation, below the College of William and Mary and New College of Florida. Major institutions like Pennsylvania State University and the University of California, Davis, were ranked below SMCM. The college’s overall rank was No. 37. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was ranked No. 1.
“Kiplinger reveals that despite widespread budget cuts, many public colleges still deliver strong academics at affordable prices,” said Larry Vote, acting president of St. Mary’s College. “Our faculty and administration work hard to ensure that SMCM students receive the best education and we continue to offer the same high level of financial aid as in previous years.”
Five Maryland universities and colleges ranked in Kiplinger’s top 100. The University of Maryland, College Park, ranked above SMCM at No. 8, while Salisbury University ranked No. 59; the University of Maryland, Baltimore, ranked No. 93; and Towson University ranked No. 97. The magazine uses academic and economic factors to determine rank. These include SAT scores, retention rates, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, and average debt for graduates. For more information, visit http://kiplinger.com/tools/colleges/ .