Saint Mary's College of California is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Moraga, California. It enrolls 1,947 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic Calendar4-1-4 Plan
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
65/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes77
Value46
Affordability24
Selectivity29
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 86.5%, Saint Mary's College of California is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
86.5%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Saint Mary's College of California is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
7.6 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Saint Mary's College of California isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $30,378 per year. That's in line with the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$30,378
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
27%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
42%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$57,803
Room & Board (on-campus)
$17,600
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,086
Books & Supplies
$1,062
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,446
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,930
Total Cost of Attendance
$77,659
Application fee: $60 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$19,462
$30,001 – $48,000
$20,127
$48,001 – $75,000
$23,303
$75,001 – $110,000
$29,049
Over $110,000
$40,581
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$12,00025%percentile
$23,691Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$32,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $22,593
↓ $1,098
No Pell $19,000
↓ $4,691
Dependent students $19,500
↓ $4,191
Independent students $25,000
↑ $1,309
Female students $20,500
↓ $3,191
Male students $19,250
↓ $4,441
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $12,500, less than completers ($23,691), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
64% of full-time students who enrolled at Saint Mary's College of California graduate within six years, and 85% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
64%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
85%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Saint Mary's College of California earn a median of $78,812 ten years after first enrolling. That's above the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$78,812
Earning > $25K
87%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$59,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$71,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$55,300
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$59,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$72,400
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,600, about 16% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
9.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 90% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Saint Mary's College of California is home to 1,947 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
1,947
Part-Time
5%
First-Generation
26%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 37.3%727
Hispanic 33.2%647
Other 11.0%214
Asian 8.3%161
Black 4.9%95
International 2.4%46
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Saint Mary's College of California. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large SuburbMoraga, California
Housing
Strongly residential1,511 beds for 1,947 students
Adult Learners
6%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
4-1-4 Planscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
Designation
Religiously affiliated
What You Can Study
Saint Mary's College of California offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
65 distinct programs across
21 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Saint Mary's College of California is 10:1, low (small classes, more faculty contact).
Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$260M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$100,150
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
202 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
76
38%
$113,014
Associate Professors
71
35%
$96,473
Assistant Professors
39
19%
$86,508
Instructors
16
8%
$88,610
Pros & Cons of Saint Mary's College of California
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Saint Mary's College of California tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Strong first-year retention
Above-average post-graduation earnings
CONS
Above-average net price
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Best for:
Based on the data, Saint Mary's College of California is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Saint Mary's College of California
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Saint Mary's College of California.
Is Saint Mary's College of California hard to get into?
Saint Mary's College of California has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 86.5%.
What is the acceptance rate at Saint Mary's College of California?
Saint Mary's College of California has an acceptance rate of 86.5%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Saint Mary's College of California cost?
The average net price after aid at Saint Mary's College of California is $30,378 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Saint Mary's College of California worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $78,812 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $30,378 per year. That's roughly 2.6x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Saint Mary's College of California known for?
Saint Mary's College of California is best known for its programs in Business, Business Administration, Counseling Education. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Saint Mary's College of California graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Saint Mary's College of California are $78,812, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Saint Mary's College of California accredited?
Yes. Saint Mary's College of California is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend Saint Mary's College of California?
Saint Mary's College of California enrolls 1,947 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Saint Mary's College of California?
Saint Mary's College of California graduates 64% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Saint Mary's College of California a public or private college?
Saint Mary's College of California is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Saint Mary's College of California located?
Saint Mary's College of California is located in Moraga, California.
What programs does Saint Mary's College of California offer?
Saint Mary's College of California offers 65 distinct programs. The most popular include Business, Business Administration, Counseling Education.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Saint Mary's College of California?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Saint Mary's College of California is 10:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
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