Saint Mary’s moves up in U.S. News ‘Best National Universities’ ranking

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota continues to move up in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of best colleges and universities.

Saint Mary’s is ranked No. 174 in the National Universities category of the U.S. News Best Colleges 2013 guidebook, moving up three slots from No. 177 in the 2012 guide.

The ranking of more than 1,500 schools is available online at www.usnews.com. Results were announced today, Sept. 12.

“We’re elated that Saint Mary’s is being nationally recognized for its excellent educational experience,” said President Brother William Mann. “We’re a top-tier university that is meeting the needs and exceeding the expectations of its students at every level, from our undergraduate students to our doctoral students.”

U.S. News placed Saint Mary’s in the first tier of the “National Universities” category. This grouping includes schools that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees. This is the sixth year Saint Mary’s is ranked in this category.

Taking top honors in the “National Universities” ranking are Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University and Columbia University. Saint Mary’s is one of only three public or private schools in Minnesota in this category.

Along with the “National Universities” category, the other main U.S. News institutional groupings include “National Liberal Arts Colleges,” “Regional Universities,” and “Regional Colleges.”

U.S. News categorizes schools primarily by mission and region, and ranking data is gathered from each institution on indicators of academic excellence.