Acceptance Rate
87%
“Tucked into California's misty East Bay hills, Saint Mary's College fuses Lasallian Catholic roots with practical Bay Area drive in a tight-knit community where personal growth trumps prestige.”
Moraga, CA
Location
Large Suburb
Campus Setting
You arrive at Saint Mary's College of California, founded in 1863 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers amid San Francisco's Gold Rush chaos, when they set up a one-room schoolhouse to educate the city's orphans and immigrants. After the 1906 earthquake razed their original site, the Brothers relocated to the oak-studded hills of Moraga in 1928, creating a serene 420-acre campus that feels worlds away from urban frenzy. Today, this private Catholic liberal arts college enrolls about 2,300 undergrads, drawing students who crave close relationships with professors and peers over cutthroat competition—think collaborative doers shaped by faith-inspired service, not lone wolves chasing Ivy pedigrees. The school's personality shines as warm and unpretentious, with a progressive Catholic bent that welcomes all beliefs while emphasizing ethics and community.
Moraga, your home base, is an affluent suburb in the Lamorinda triangle (Lafayette-Moraga-Orinda), where hiking trails and eucalyptus groves surround you, but the sleepy vibe means you'll drive 30 minutes to Oakland's buzz or an hour to San Francisco's lights. Tradeoffs hit hard: at $53,000 tuition, it's pricey for its 88% acceptance rate, lacking the cachet of pricier peers, and the isolated hilltop location suits introverts or nature lovers but frustrates those craving constant city energy or diverse nightlife.
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In Saint Mary's classrooms, expect professors who know your name—thanks to a 12:1 student-faculty ratio that fosters seminars over lectures, rooted in the Lasallian tradition of holistic teaching where faith, reason, and action intertwine. You'll dive into the distinctive Integral Program, a four-year great books honors track dissecting philosophy, literature, and science through Socratic debates, or pursue standouts like the AACSB-accredited business school, which feeds Bay Area firms with hands-on econ and entrepreneurship courses, and a nursing program boasting clinical placements at top hospitals. Research opportunities abound for undergrads, from psychology labs to sustainability projects leveraging the campus's LEED-certified buildings, but don't expect Big Ten-scale facilities; this is intimate inquiry, not massive grants.
Intellectually, the culture rewards breadth—you'll wrestle big questions in core classes blending theology with STEM—yet tradeoffs include fewer niche majors than giants like UC Berkeley nearby, and while collaborative, the pace suits steady grinders over prodigies eyeing Rhodes Scholarships.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
1,954 undergrad • 780 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
36%
Black / African American
6%
Hispanic / Latino
28%
Asian
9%
Other / Multi-racial
22%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Moraga, CA
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
Campus life at Saint Mary's pulses with Gael pride, where you'll cheer the Division I basketball team's upset NCAA runs from the packed University Credit Union Pavilion, or join 100+ clubs from Gaelic football to service trips building homes in Mexico. Traditions like the fall Gael Day bonfire and picnic unite the community, while 80% of freshmen live on campus in modern halls fostering instant bonds—picture late-night dorm debates over coffee, not frat bashes. The social scene skews wholesome: mixers, theater productions, and hikes around nearby Lafayette Reservoir keep things lively, with a diverse but majority white student body (about 40% students of color) creating inclusive, low-drama vibes.
A typical week mixes 9 a.m. classes, afternoon intramurals, and Thursday cafe hangs, but challenges loom: rainy, foggy winters chill outdoor plans, the small size amplifies insider cliques, and Moraga's quiet streets mean weekends often road-trip to SF for bigger adventures—perfect for grounded socializers, tougher for extroverted party hunters.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
West Coast Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
No
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Credit for military training
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
Net Annual Cost by Household Income
Household Income
Avg. Net Cost
$0 – $30K
$13,329
$30K – $48K
$11,968
$48K – $75K
$18,017
$75K – $110K
$20,711
$110K+
$28,480
Apply for Financial Aid
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Costs shown are before financial aid. Most students receive some form of aid. Complete the FAFSA to see what you qualify for.
Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
85%
4 Years Graduation Rate
65%
6 Years Graduation Rate
72%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$78,812
85% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at Saint Mary's College of California and return in the fall. 65% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 72% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
65%
4-6 years
7%
Non-grad
28%
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Key Statistics
Type
Private
Tuition
$53,372
Acceptance
87%
Undergrads
1,954
4-Year Grad Rate
65%
Endowment
$177M
Moraga, CA 94575
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