University of Mary

In the 2027 US News Best Colleges rankings, University of Mary placed 317th among national universities, moving up from 376th in 2024. Gaining admission is relatively accessible for most applicants. In 2025, the university admitted 75.3% of applicants, an admit rate higher than 47% of peer schools in its comparison group of private comprehensive universities with similar rankings. While many regional private institutions struggle to convert admissions into actual registrations, the school demonstrates an unusually solid draw once students receive an offer. Its yield rate reached 41.4% in 2025, which was higher than 90% of peer institutions in the same comparison group. This combination of an open admissions process and a strong commitment rate indicates that prospective students who apply typically view the university as an appealing final destination, making it a dependable choice where qualified candidates can feel confident about both acceptance and finding a cohort dedicated to attending.

The University of Mary maintains an admission test policy that is test-optional, meaning scores are considered if submitted. For the 2025 class, the score ranges show that the middle 50% of students achieved an ACT composite score between 21 and 26. In standardized testing comparisons against similarly ranked private comprehensive universities, the university's median SAT score of 1210 was higher than 85% of peer schools. Most enrolling students do not present exam scores, but among those who did in 2025, the ACT was considerably more common, with 37% of incoming undergraduates submitting ACT results compared to a smaller group sending SAT results. Applicants reviewing their academic preparation can look to these mid-range benchmarks to gauge how their credentials align with the enrolled student body, while keeping in mind that high school academic performance and comprehensive application materials play a central role in admissions decisions under this flexible testing policy.

Undergraduate degree conferrals at the University of Mary show moderate concentration, with the top three majors accounting for 33.7% of the 579 bachelor's degrees awarded in 2025. International students accounted for 3.3% of all bachelor's degree recipients. Professional training leads enrollment, anchored by Registered Nursing with 82 graduates, followed by Business Administration and Management. The largest undergraduate majors do not appear near the top of national departmental tables. In US News rankings, undergraduate nursing was ranked 336th in 2027, while graduate programs fared relatively better, with Occupational Therapy at rank 150 in 2026. Even so, graduates in core disciplines realize solid financial returns. According to 2023 earnings data, bachelor's degree recipients in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing earned median pay of $75,901 one year after graduation. For prospective students, the academic profile suits those targeting practical careers in healthcare and business where professional licensure matters most.

The student body at University of Mary is predominantly composed of domestic students, with modest representation from diverse ethnic and geographic backgrounds. Within the entering freshman class in 2025, international students numbered 19, accounting for 3.4% of the cohort. Asian students numbered 9, representing 1.6% of first-year undergraduates. Across continuing undergraduate cohorts and graduate divisions, White students form the overwhelming majority, while Black, Pacific Islander, and multiracial students make up smaller segments. Female students constitute a clear majority across both undergraduate programs and graduate professional studies. The overall campus environment is shaped largely by regional enrollment, offering prospective students a cohesive community centered around traditional collegiate life, though with relatively low racial and international diversity compared to larger national research institutions.

The student body at the University of Mary is distinctly divided between traditional-age undergraduates and mature graduate cohorts. In 2025, undergraduates aged 18 to 19 represented 33.1% of the college population, while those aged 20 to 21 accounted for another 30.2%, creating an undergraduate campus environment focused primarily on students in their late teens and early twenties. By contrast, the graduate student population includes a substantial proportion of older adults. While 27.3% of graduate enrollees fall between ages 22 and 24, students aged 40 to 49 represent 17.9% of the cohort. This dual age structure means undergraduate student life revolves around traditional collegiate routines, whereas graduate programs support working adults and mid-career professionals returning to school.

International enrollment at University of Mary represents a small but expanding presence across campus. In 2025, international students comprised 2.8% of the undergraduate population, a share that is higher than 40% of peer institutions in a comparison group of private comprehensive universities with similar rankings. This reflects an upward trajectory over the past decade following earlier lows. At the graduate level, international enrollment followed a comparable pattern, reaching 3.7% of all graduate students in 2025. International degree recipients remain concentrated in specific professional fields rather than being distributed evenly across academic disciplines. Among undergraduate programs, international graduates were most visible in Business Administration and Management, where they made up 7.7% of degree recipients, while healthcare fields like Registered Nursing saw only minimal international representation. At the graduate level, international students similarly concentrated in business and clinical communication programs. For prospective international applicants, the university offers an environment where global students represent a small, focused cohort primarily drawn to professional credentialing and commerce curricula.

Applicants evaluating University of Mary can consider several other options across the upper Midwest region. In North Dakota, North Dakota State University-Main Campus is a national university ranked 236th and located 187 kilometers away, while University of North Dakota ranks 227th among national universities at a distance of 191 kilometers. Further south, South Dakota State University is located 254 kilometers away and holds a rank of 250th on the national university list. Looking eastward into Minnesota, College of Saint Benedict is a liberal arts college ranked 68th, situated about 318 kilometers from campus.

Campus safety at University of Mary reflects an environment characterized primarily by internal conduct infractions rather than frequent violent crime. In 2025, the university reported a crime rate of 4.0 per 1,000 students, representing a substantial decline from rates recorded earlier in the decade. Across the three-year span from 2023 to 2025, the overwhelming majority of recorded campus incidents involved alcohol policy enforcement, with disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations totaling 117 cases. By comparison, serious offenses on campus grounds were rare during the same timeframe. Stalking incidents totaled 5 across those years, while arrests and disciplinary referrals for drug violations, liquor law arrests, and reported rapes each remained in the low single digits. The data indicates that safety oversight on campus is largely occupied with managing student conduct regulations regarding substance use. For incoming students and their families, these records depict a relatively secure campus setting where major physical security threats remain uncommon.