U.S. News & World Report released their list of "Best Colleges 2016" on Wednesday, and Notre Dame and Saint Mary's earned spots on the "Best National Universities" and "Best National Liberal Arts Colleges" lists, respectively.
Notre Dame came in at 18th in the university category, and Saint Mary's ranked 82nd out of the liberal arts colleges that made the list.
According to a College press release, Saint Mary's has been ranked consistently in the top 100 liberal arts colleges for the last seven years.
Saint Mary's President Carol Ann Mooney said in the press release that the ranking met the goal she set early in her presidency to move Saint Mary’s into the national liberal arts rankings.
“We know that national rankings are important to many high school students in their college search. I am very pleased that Saint Mary’s College continues to be ranked in the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges," Mooney said in the press release. “Students graduate from Saint Mary’s with an education that challenges their minds, awakens their imaginations and instills in them the desire to leave the world a better place. They are supported by dedicated faculty and a campus community that helps them to succeed.”
According to the press release, U.S. News uses many factors to capture schools' academic vigor, including assessment by administrators at peer institutions, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving and graduation rate performance.
Saint Mary’s strong graduation and retention rates are among the factors that contribute to its performance in the U.S. News rankings, according to the press release. At Saint Mary’s, approximately 94 percent of students graduate within four years.
