Public
Accredited · Middle States Commission on Higher Education
St. Mary's City, Maryland
75.4% Acceptance Rate
St. Mary's College of Maryland — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
75.4%Acceptance Rate
3.45Avg GPA
1232Avg SAT
27Avg ACT
$31,319Annual Cost
$60,110Grad Salary
20.2%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
75.4%
Avg GPA
3.45
Avg SAT
1232
Avg ACT
27
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
SAT Middle 50%
1110–1330
ACT Middle 50%
24–30
Avg Net Price
$18,362
Need-Based Aid
20.2% receive Pell
St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public, selective honors college known for its rigorous liberal arts curriculum and scenic, waterfront campus. By providing an elite-level educational experience at a public university price point, the college fosters a close-knit community of scholars committed to critical thinking, research, and global citizenship. Its emphasis on a personalized, inquiry-based learning environment makes it an exceptional choice for students seeking a challenging and transformative collegiate journey.
St. Mary's College of Maryland Acceptance Rate
St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) runs an open-access admission policy — with a 75.4% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in — worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 75.4% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.45 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.25 – 3.44
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.00
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
St. Mary's College of Maryland Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for St. Mary's College of Maryland is February 1 for Regular Decision applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by April 1.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 189 days left — Regular Decision
Regular Decision
February 1
Decision by: April 1
Early Action
November 15
Decision by: January 15
💡 The scholarship deadline (November 15, 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.
SMCM GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at SMCM is 3.45. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.15–3.45 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 3.65–3.85.SMCM GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective; solid academic performance is expected.
Recommended Strategy: Focus on a Strong 'Spike' in extracurriculars or research.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.45 – 4.00
Target/Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.25 – 3.44
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.05 – 3.24
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.04
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Nation's first standalone public honors college (designated by MD Legislature, 1992); one of only three all-honors colleges in the U.S.
- Application requires essay, two teacher recommendations (grades 11-12), SAT/ACT, and $50 fee; Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision options.
- 98% of faculty hold the highest degree in their field; located on a 361-acre historic waterfront campus in St. Mary's City.
- The St. Mary's Project (year-long, 8-credit independent capstone) is required of every student.
- 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 SMCM
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on St. Mary's College of Maryland'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.
St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if SMCM is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into SMCM Without SAT or ACT?
SMCM considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt — most applicants test 2–3 times.
St. Mary's College of Maryland Average SAT Score: 1232
The average SAT score of admitted students at St. Mary's College of Maryland is 1232 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1232 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1330 SAT or 30 ACT) to stand out. Below average? St. Mary's College of Maryland allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1110, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at SMCM. 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 | 590 | 540 | 640 |
| SAT Reading | 630 | 570 | 690 |
| SAT Composite | 1232 | 1110 | 1330 |
Below 1110, you're behind most admitted students; at 1330 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 1250
Can I get into St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) with a 1350 SAT?
A 1350 SAT puts you ahead of most of SMCM'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.
St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at SMCM is 27.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 27 — Competitive
This average is solidly above the national mean without being elite-tier.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 22 | 17 | 27 |
| ACT English | 27 | 23 | 31 |
| ACT Composite | 27 | 24 | 30 |
Can I get into St. Mary's College of Maryland with a 30 ACT?
A 30 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of SMCM's admitted students — a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several 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 (Science, especially, 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 SMCM.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for SMCM
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Getting into SMCM isn't the hard part — building a solid academic foundation and securing aid early is where the real strategy lives.
Write your essay around genuine intellectual curiosity, not just achievement - First-Year Seminars are the tell
SMCM's admissions team explicitly rewards creativity and personality in essays (students with modest grades but standout essays have been admitted) - reference a real intellectual interest tied to the kind of small, discussion-based First-Year Seminar topics SMCM runs (political protest, altruism, historical reinterpretation), since this signals you understand what "honors-level education for everyone" actually means here.
Request the on-campus interview - it's a genuine, underused differentiator
SMCM offers admission interviews on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, pairable with a same-day campus visit - as one of only three all-honors colleges in the country, an in-person conversation lets you demonstrate fit with "The St. Mary's Way" campus ethos in a way a written application alone can't.
Understand every course here is already honors-level - don't apply for a separate honors track
Unlike most colleges where "honors college" is a smaller program within a larger student body, SMCM is designated by the Maryland Legislature as the state's sole public honors college - every admitted student is already in it, so don't waste application effort trying to find or apply to a separate honors program; focus instead on demonstrating readiness for a uniformly rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum.
Highlight community contribution specifically - it's an explicit admissions factor, not just a nice-to-have
SMCM's admissions office states directly that how you'd contribute to the SMCM community, in and out of the classroom, is an important consideration - choose recommenders (counselor plus a coach, faith leader, or supervisor) who can speak to how you show up in a community, not just your academic performance.
Expert Insight:
Because SMCM is a public liberal arts college with a small, close-knit culture, applicants who submit essays reading as generic "prestige-chasing" (written for any elite small college) stand out for the wrong reasons - admissions readers here are explicitly looking for personality and community fit over polish.
SMCM Profile
Full Name
St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM)
City
St. Mary's City
State
Maryland
ZIP Code
20686
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSACHE)
Is a SMCM Degree Worth It?
SMCM 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 $85,900, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.67%.
How much does a degree from SMCM Cost?
The sticker price is $31,319/year, but the average net price students actually pay — after Pell and federal grants — is closer to $18,362.
20.2% of students receive a Pell Grant and 42.2% take federal loans at SMCM — file your FAFSA early and list SMCM as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a SMCM Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $60,110 — about 48% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than St. Mary's College of Maryland. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, 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 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia, AR | 1212 | 25 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 1194 | 26 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | Willimantic, CT | 1200 | NA |
| University of Hartford | West Hartford, CT | 1207 | 29 |
| University of New Haven | West Haven, CT | 1190 | NA |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as St. Mary's College of Maryland. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks, CA | 1224 | 26 |
| University of Redlands | Redlands, CA | 1231 | 28 |
| University of South Florida | Tampa, FL | 1235 | 27 |
| Berry College | Mount Berry, GA | 1223 | 26 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than St. Mary's College of Maryland. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1287 | 28 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton, CA | 1303 | 27 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA | 1278 | 26 |
| Thomas Aquinas College | Santa Paula, CA | 1277 | 29 |
| United States Coast Guard Academy | New London, CT | 1290 | 28 |
Degree Programs at SMCM
Bachelor Degree Programs
Masters Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About SMCM Admissions
Median graduate earnings at St. Mary's College of Maryland run about $60,110 a year.
St. Mary's College of Maryland costs roughly $31,319 a year — most students combine this with scholarships or aid.
St. Mary's College of Maryland's Pell Grant rate of 20.2% sits below the national average — merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 75.4%, St. Mary's College of Maryland's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at St. Mary's College of Maryland average a 3.45 GPA.
St. Mary's College of Maryland doesn't publish a hard GPA floor — but landing at or above 3.15 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.05, St. Mary's College of Maryland 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 St. Mary's College of Maryland — aim above 1232, ideally within the 1110–1330 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for St. Mary's College of Maryland is February 1 for Regular Decision applicants. Admission decisions are released by April 1.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is November 15, 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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