Honors and Rankings
View honors and rankings for St. Mary’s University and the St. Mary’s School of Law.
St. Mary’s University Honors and Rankings
U.S. News & World Report
St. Mary’s continues to rank No. 1 in the West for Best Value Schools, offering students a combination of exceptional academic quality and affordability.
St. Mary’s in the 2026 Best Colleges ranking tied for the No. 13 spot out of 118 universities in the West for academic quality. The University has been included in the list of top-tier regional universities for 32 consecutive years.
Ranking Top Performers on Social Mobility, St. Mary’s ranked No. 12, and ranked first in San Antonio in this analysis for the seventh year in a row.
St. Mary’s ranked No. 20 for Best Colleges for Veterans nationally and No. 1 in San Antonio.
U.S. News also ranked the University’s undergraduate Engineering programs. View the St. Mary’s profile.
Colleges of Distinction
Colleges of Distinction was created in 2000 to help students and their parents navigate the overwhelming process of selecting the right school. Colleges of Distinction recognize schools that deliver on four overarching distinctions: Student Engagement, Teaching, Community and Outcomes. To be designated a “college of distinction,” a school’s curriculum must emphasize such core competencies as critical thinking, writing, oral skills, research and global perspectives. They must also offer dynamic out-of-classroom learning and study abroad programs.
- Business
- Career Development
- Catholic
- Engaged Students
- Education
- Engineering
- Great Teaching
- International
- Military Support
- Successful Outcomes
- Texas
- Vibrant Communities
2026-2027 Badges
Did you know?
A 2024 study commissioned by the St. Mary’s University Center for Catholic Studies found that the value of a Catholic college education extends far beyond financial rewards. Catholic university graduates more likely to report higher fulfillment, ideal life and that morality is extremely important in decision-making. Read more about the study.
Niche
Niche ranked St. Mary’s fourth in Texas for Best Catholic Colleges and No. 9 of Best Small Colleges in Texas. St. Mary’s was also highly ranked among the Best Colleges in San Antonio (5 of 17), Best Catholic Colleges in America (45 of 157) and Best Hispanic-Serving Institutions in America (114 of 406).
Niche’s overall rankings stem from federal data as well as student and alumni reviews to help get a clearer picture of each school’s quality.
Carnegie Classifications
St. Mary’s University has been designated as an Opportunity College and University by the Carnegie Classifications, recognizing St. Mary’s as an institution that can serve as a model for studying how campuses can foster student success.
The Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation is part of a newly developed Student Access and Earnings Classification published in 2025 by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education. This new classification examines the extent to which institutions foster opportunities for student success by measuring whether institutions are enrolling students reflective of the communities they serve and how the earnings of those students compare to peers in their area.
In 2025, 479 institutions have been identified as Opportunity Colleges and Universities, which is about 16% of all U.S. colleges and universities that are in the Student Access and Earnings Classification.
TechGuide
The St. Mary’s Master of Science in Software Engineering program has been ranked #2 in TechGuide’s 2025 list of the Most Affordable Online Master’s in Software Engineering Programs. This ranking has been based on affordability, showcasing programs that deliver both strong educational value and rigorous academic standards.
Did you know?
St. Mary’s is a nationally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution with a diverse student population of more than 3,500 of all faiths and backgrounds.
Fortune
St. Mary’s University’s Master of Science in Cybersecurity ranked No. 5 for Best Master’s in Cybersecurity for 2025 by Fortune. The programs in this national ranking of in-person cybersecurity master’s degrees are helping to address the talent and skills shortage for cybersecurity professionals.
The Princeton Review
The St. Mary’s Greehey School of Business MBA program has been recognized by Princeton Review as one of the best online MBA programs for 2025. This recognition highlights schools offering exceptional academics, flexibility and access to innovative technology to prepare students for successful business careers.
National Designation
St. Mary’s University, through the M.S. in Cybersecurity program, creates and maintains a high-standard, collaborative cybersecurity program through the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) and has been designated a CAE-CD award.
The Cybersecurity master’s program is also ranked No. 15 in Cybersecurity Guide’s 2024 rankings.
Did you know?
Compared to other Texas colleges and universities, St. Mary’s University provides an education that ranks highly on its return on investment to students, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. The value of students’ investment in their education at St. Mary’s increases dramatically over time. Evaluating the investment 40 years from today earns St. Mary’s a spot among the top 15% of schools studied.
Forbes
Forbes magazine ranked St. Mary’s 23rd in Texas and No. 101 in the South. This annual review of undergraduate institutions measures those that deliver the best academics, experiences, career successes and the lowest debt.
PayScale
PayScale has repeatedly recognized St. Mary’s for alumni with top salary potential in their careers, and this year was no different.
St. Mary’s was again among Texas’ top schools in the College Salary Report. PayScale also has St. Mary’s ranked 352 of 1589 colleges nationally.
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution gave St. Mary’s a score of 99 out of 100, making it the top university in San Antonio, second in Texas and 17th nationally for how well it prepares students for careers – ahead of Harvard, Notre Dame, Yale, Texas A&M and UT-Austin.
Brookings uses government and private data to analyze college value-added, considering the economic success of graduates – incomes, occupations and loan repayment rates.
Significant Return on Investment
The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities found that Catholic institutions offer students a higher return on investment (ROI) just 10 years after degree completion than other private and liberal arts colleges, outpacing them by at least $15,000. Then, just five years later, Catholic colleges begin to increase their lead in ROI over all other types of institutions, including public colleges and universities. The Catholic edge becomes pronounced in the long term (40 years after degree completion), showing the highest median ROI among all types of higher education institutions — 16% higher than private nonprofit universities and 27% higher than public institutions.
College Factual
St. Mary’s University is considered one of the best schools for the money according to College Factual’s recent rankings, affiliated with USA Today. St. Mary’s has been ranked #20 in Texas. This puts the school in the top 15% for students seeking a quality education at an affordable price. St. Mary’s also earned kudos for best value among social sciences and business administration students. Explore more on the College Factual ranking report.
Washington Monthly
St. Mary’s has routinely been listed among the best master’s universities in the country. There were 616 schools in Washington Monthly’s 2021 College Guide. St. Mary’s also ranked No. 83 of 211 universities in the South for Best Bang for the Buck.
Money Magazine
Money magazine ranked St. Mary’s University the top Catholic university in the Southwest and No. 26 of all Catholic institutions in its 2019 Best Colleges ranking. The magazine also ranked St. Mary’s the second best university in San Antonio, seventh in Texas and No. 220 of 744 nationally. Schools were ranked based on quality of education, affordability and graduates’ job success.
St. Mary’s School of Law Rankings and Honors
Princeton Review
St. Mary’s University School of Law is one of 168 schools we have named to our list of the Best Law Schools for 2025. The St. Mary’s School of Law made the list “Best Law Schools for 2025.”
National Jurist
St. Mary’s Law earned a place on the Social Justice Honor Roll of top law schools for social justice and the preLaw’s Justice and Opportunity Honor Roll by the National Jurist. For Social Justice Honor Roll of top law schools for social justice St. Mary’s ties for 12th in the U.S. ranking with a grade of A-. This honor recognizes the School of Law’s mission to graduate leaders in law who are advocates with the moral compass to make a difference and have a commitment to service. For the preLaw’s Justice and Opportunity Honor Roll, St. Mary’s receives a grade of A for its innovative efforts to strengthen justice through opportunity. The School of Law is recognized for expanding access to legal education. In the article, St. Mary’s is mentioned for pairing its conditional admissions with readiness boot camps, which help prepare first-generation students for the rigors of law school.
U.S. News and World Report 2026
The St. Mary’s University School of Law Advocacy Programs ranked in the top 15 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and tied for the No. 12 spot in the 2026 Best Graduate School Rankings of Trial Advocacy Programs.
St. Mary’s School of Law tied for No. 18 in the rankings of Best Dispute Resolution Programs and tied for No. 75 in the rankings of Best Clinical Training Programs.
St. Mary’s School of Law also tied for No. 38 on the Best Part-Time Law Programs ranking. The School of Law’s rankings for its part-time program continue to remain high since the inception of a highly competitive Online J.D. Program option. The overall ranking for St. Mary’s School of Law is tied for No. 150 in the nation among Best Law Schools.
American Bar Association
For the second consecutive year, members of the St. Mary’s School of Law National Dispute Resolution Team were named national champions at the American Bar Association Negotiation Competition and won the 2026 national championship in Chicago. In 2025, St. Mary’s School of Law won second place in the International Negotiation Competition in London.
The National Team is ranked No. 4 in the nation by the American Bar Association for 2025. For the last eight years, the St. Mary’s Advocacy Program has been ranked by the ABA in the top 10 in the country.
Pro Bono Hours
Texas Lawyer
Texas Lawyer magazine listed the St. Mary’s University School of Law’s Master of Laws program as the best in the state.