Saint Mary's College cracked U.S. News & World Report's top 100 on their list of 2010 America's Best Colleges.
For the third year in a row, the College has been named one of the nation's Best Liberal Arts Colleges, according to an Aug. 20 press release.
"It is wonderful to be nationally recognized for the academic excellence at Saint Mary's College," President Carol Ann Mooney said in the release.
Saint Mary's was ranked 97th out of 249 schools across the country.
Students are excited about the rankings, but some say it wouldn't have affected their decision to come here.
"I think it is cool and well-deserved, but it doesn't make a difference in how I feel about the school," junior Jennifer DeMarco said. "I'm glad we are ranked in the top 100, but the only thing that would have had a real effect on my decision would be the top 10."
These rankings do follow closely with Mooney's goals that she set at the beginning of her presidency with the College. She made a strategic plan for the College that the school has been working towards since she began in 2004.
Mooney said in a press release that she realizes parents and high school students look to the rankings when choosing the best college or university for them.
"We know that prospective students and their parents put value on these rankings and we are very pleased to be listed in the top 100 liberal arts colleges," Mooney said.
According to the Report's Web site, they rank schools according to their category, which is determined by the size of the school, the major programs offered and region. It then takes colleges and universities within the categories and awards them points.
Factors include admissions scores, selectivity, graduation rates, the commitment to undergraduate teaching and retention and graduation rates. After weighing all these aspects, Saint Mary's scored 51 out of a possible 100 points.
Saint Mary's was also recognized by the Princeton Review earlier this year as Best in the Midwest, a title it has held for the past seven years, which is when the Review began its Best Regional College category.
