Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame

Saint Marys College, a pioneer in the education of women, is an academic community where women develop their talents and prepare to make a difference in the world. Founded and continually sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross since 1844, the College embraces its Catholic heritage and educates its students within that context. On this mostly residential campus (84 percent of students live here), Saint Mary’s mission is to offer women a solid foundation in the liberal arts, a wide variety of challenging majors, and excellent preparation for leadership roles in both career and community. Saint Mary’s College has always engaged its students with a learning atmosphere that allows open discussion and close interaction between classmates and professors. That personal attention is one of the qualities Saint Mary’s students say they value most about their educational experience. The curriculum offers enhanced learning opportunities, including challenging and interesting coursework and interdisciplinary study. The College also offers a wide variety of academic-year, summer, and semester break options for international study. With an emphasis on creativity, teamwork, critical thinking, ethics, and intercultural competence, graduates are prepared for an array of careers and a lifetime of learning. The College’s single-gender environment has been proven, in study after study, to foster confidence, ethical leadership, and strong academic success among women. Graduates of women’s colleges tend to be remarkable achievers. Saint Marys alumnae include a Broadway producer, several U.S. Congresswomen, a state Supreme Court justice, a vice president for CBS Sports, the 2006 Michigan School Superintendent of the Year, and a country director for Save the Children in Afghanistan. Saint Mary’s students often declare that their college experience gives them the best of both worlds: small classes and unlimited opportunities. When students graduate and embark on a career or enter graduate school, they are armed with the skills employers and others are looking for: the ability to communicate well, to think analytically, and to see the big picture.