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Friday, March 29, 2024
The Observer

SMC tops ranking list again

Saint Mary's has been named the No. 1 Midwest comprehensive college for the 11th time in the past 12 years, according to the U.S. News and World Report's 2006 edition of "America's Best Colleges."In the rankings released this week, Saint Mary's reigned above the other 107 colleges in its category, including Calvin College and Marietta College, achieving a perfect score of 100. Saint Mary's ranked at the top in all categories, which included student selectivity, graduation rates, retention rates and commitment to instruction. Saint Mary's President Carol Ann Mooney said the ranking did not surprise her. "Saint Mary's educates women uncommonly well, and it's good to have our enduring quality reflected in these annual rankings," Mooney said in a press release. "But what the rankings don't show is that, after four years at Saint Mary's, our students become women who excel in business, the arts, medicine and academia. Our success as an institution can best be measured by our graduates who are powerful forces for good in their workplaces, homes, communities, and parishes."Saint Mary's spokeswoman Melanie McDonald said that having a consistent No. 1 ranking associated with the institution is valuable. "Those who pay attention to the rankings know that the College has been No. 1 for a very long time, leaving with them an impression of enduring excellence," she said. "Our recognition as a first-rate institution comes from so much more than these rankings." Students also expressed excitement about the College's top ranking."It's awesome that Saint Mary's is No. 1," said senior Stephanie Mason. "I definitely think this is an added bonus for me in the future as I prepare to enter the job market."The College's commitment to instruction is seen primarily in the small class sizes at Saint Mary's, Mooney said."The rank reflects the quality of student we enroll," Mooney said.