Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Emmitsburg, Maryland
71.9% Acceptance Rate
Mount St. Mary's University — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
71.9%Acceptance Rate
3.36Avg GPA
1141Avg SAT
21Avg ACT
$62,078Annual Cost
$64,072Grad Salary
26.9%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
71.9%
Avg GPA
3.36
Avg SAT
1141
Avg ACT
21
Selectivity
Somewhat Selective
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
SAT Middle 50%
1030–1280
ACT Middle 50%
19–23
Need-Based Aid
26.9% receive Pell
Mount St. Mary's University is a private, Catholic liberal arts institution in Maryland known for its commitment to academic excellence, values-based education, and leadership development. Offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, the university fosters a supportive and engaged campus community that encourages critical inquiry and personal growth. Its focus on providing a transformative, high-value education makes it a premier choice for students seeking a well-rounded and mission-driven educational experience.
Mount St. Mary's University Acceptance Rate
At 71.9%, admission to Mount St. Mary's University is achievable for most students who meet the basic academic profile.
What Mount St Marys University Admissions Looks For
- Whole-Person Review: Personal circumstances and career goals are weighed alongside grades.
- Flexible on GPA: Strong extracurriculars or work experience can offset an average transcript.
Selectivity at a Glance
Somewhat Selective
Selectivity scale: Somewhat Selective — 71.9% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.36 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.16 – 3.35
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.91
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Mount St. Mary's University Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Mount St. Mary's University follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline, though the priority deadline of December 1 is recommended for the best chances of admission and financial aid.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 113 days left — Early Action
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
Mount St Marys University reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
Early Action
December 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (December 1, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Mount St Marys University GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Mount St Marys University is 3.36. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.06–3.36 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.56–3.76.Mount St Marys University GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Holistic review is critical for admission.
Recommended Strategy: Requires Contextual Factors (Leadership, hardship, or talent).
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.36 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.16 – 3.35
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.96 – 3.15
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.95
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- First-year admission requires only an official high school transcript and one letter of recommendation; essay, resume, and standardized test scores are all optional.
- Holistic admission and merit scholarship decisions use a weighted GPA calculated through junior year of high school, plus demonstrated interest in attending as a named factor.
- A criminal history is explicitly stated as not disqualifying for admission, though all offers remain conditional pending conduct and academic review.
- Mount St. Mary's Seminary, located on the same Emmitsburg campus, has trained over 2,600 men for priestly ministry and offers a philosophy pathway for undergraduate students preparing for seminary admission.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Mount St Marys University
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Mount St. Mary's University's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Mount St. Mary's University (Mount St Marys University) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Mount St Marys University is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Mount St Marys University Without SAT or ACT?
Mount St Marys University considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Mount St. Mary's University Average SAT Score: 1141
The average SAT score of admitted students at Mount St. Mary's University is 1141 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1141 — Less Competitive
This average is slightly below the national mean SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1280 SAT or 23 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Mount St. Mary's University allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1030, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Mount St Marys University. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 565 | 510 | 620 |
| SAT Reading | 590 | 520 | 660 |
| SAT Composite | 1141 | 1030 | 1280 |
Below 1030, you're behind most admitted students; at 1280 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1150
Can I get into Mount St. Mary's University (Mount St Marys University) with a 1300 SAT?
A 1300 SAT puts you ahead of most of Mount St Marys University's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Mount St. Mary's University (Mount St Marys University) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Mount St Marys University is 21.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 21 — Less Competitive
This average is slightly below the national ACT mean.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 22 | 19 | 25 |
| ACT Composite | 21 | 19 | 23 |
Can I get into Mount St. Mary's University with a 23 ACT?
A 23 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Mount St Marys University's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at Mount St Marys University.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Mount St Marys University
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Getting into Mount St Marys University isn't the hard part. Building a solid academic foundation and securing aid early is where the real strategy lives.
Use demonstrated interest deliberately - it's an explicit, named factor here
Mount St. Mary's states plainly that admission and merit scholarship decisions are based on a holistic review that explicitly includes "demonstrated interest in attending," alongside a weighted GPA calculated only through junior year of high school. Visit campus, engage with admissions counselors, and follow up genuinely - not performatively - since this school names demonstrated interest as a factor in a way many peer institutions don't state outright.
Visit campus before applying to get your application fee waived
Students who complete an official campus visit before submitting their application have their application fee waived, with confirmation sent within 24 hours of the visit's conclusion. If cost is a factor and you're geographically able to visit, sequence your visit before you hit submit rather than after, since the waiver is specifically tied to visiting first.
Know that a criminal history is explicitly not disqualifying - but conduct after admission can rescind an offer
Mount St. Mary's states directly that a criminal history is not disqualifying for admission, which is worth knowing if this concern has held you back from applying. However, all offers are conditional and can be rescinded based on conduct or academic performance inconsistent with your original application - so an offer isn't a formality once accepted, especially in the gap between acceptance and enrollment.
Consider the on-campus Seminary's resources if you're interested in philosophy or theology
Mount St. Mary's operates an actual seminary on its Emmitsburg campus - one of the largest in the country, having trained over 2,600 men for priestly ministry - meaning undergraduate philosophy and theology students share a campus with a functioning graduate seminary community and faculty. If you're drawn to philosophy, theology, or religious studies, this adjacency is a genuinely distinctive resource to reference specifically, not just "a Catholic university" in general terms.
Expert Insight:
Because Mount St. Mary's calculates its holistic weighted GPA only through junior year of high school rather than including senior-year grades at the time of application, students sometimes assume a strong senior fall semester will directly move their admission GPA - it won't factor into the initial weighted calculation the same way, though senior grades remain relevant to the "academic achievement inconsistent with application" clause that can affect a conditional offer.
Mount St Marys University Profile
Full Name
Mount St. Mary's University (Mount St Marys University)
City
Emmitsburg
State
Maryland
ZIP Code
21727-7799
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSACHE)
Is a Mount St Marys University Degree Worth It?
Mount St Marys University offers a rigorous academic environment, but 'worth it' is a personal calculation of cost, program fit, and outcomes. The figures below are a starting point.
The average household income among admitted students is $81,800, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.56%.
How much does a degree from Mount St Marys University Cost?
The sticker price is $62,078/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is typically much lower.
26.9% of students receive a Pell Grant and 59.7% take federal loans at Mount St Marys University. File your FAFSA early and list Mount St Marys University as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Mount St Marys University Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $64,072. That's about 58% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Mount St. Mary's University. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL | 1119 | 23 |
| Tuskegee University | Tuskegee, AL | 1121 | 22 |
| Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ | 1095 | 22 |
| Arkansas State University | Jonesboro, AR | 1119 | 22 |
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | 1117 | 22 |
| University of La Verne | La Verne, CA | 1116 | 22 |
| Pacific Union College | Angwin, CA | 1093 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | Denver, CO | 1119 | 24 |
| Western Colorado University | Gunnison, CO | 1130 | 25 |
| Central Connecticut State University | New Britain, CT | 1091 | 24 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Mount St. Mary's University. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery, AL | 1148 | 23 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 1140 | 25 |
| Lynn University | Boca Raton, FL | 1136 | 25 |
| University of West Florida | Pensacola, FL | 1137 | 24 |
| Georgia College & State University | Milledgeville, GA | 1150 | 24 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Mount St. Mary's University. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| University of Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
Degree Programs at Mount St Marys University
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Mount St Marys University Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Mount St. Mary's University run about $64,072 a year.
At about $62,078 a year, Mount St. Mary's University's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
About 26.9% receive a Pell Grant at Mount St. Mary's University. The odds are moderate and largely income-dependent, but an early FAFSA filing still helps.
At 71.9%, Mount St. Mary's University's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Mount St. Mary's University average a 3.36 GPA.
Mount St. Mary's University doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.06 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 2.96, Mount St. Mary's University becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at Mount St. Mary's University — aim above 1141, ideally within the 1030–1280 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Mount St. Mary's University is December 1. Rolling Admissions is also offered, so applying early improves your chances.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is December 1, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
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