For the third year in a row, Saint Mary’s College of California has been listed as one of the top 10 best regional universities in the West in the just released 2018 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. The College was also ranked 19th for Best Value for Western regional universities, fifth in California for Best Online MBA Programs, and fourth in the state for Best Online Master’s in Business Programs. They also achieved Tier 1 ranking for their MBA and EMBA programs by CEO Magazine.
Saint Mary’s goal is to be – and be recognized as – the model of the best of Catholic higher education. Since launching its 2015-2020 “Distinctive Excellence” strategic plan, which The Napa Group facilitated, Saint Mary’s has marked substantial progress toward its aspirations, which you can read more about here. Outcomes to date include the Town of Moraga’s approval of Saint Mary’s 20-year Campus Master Plan, a new marketing campaign and website, the SMC Mobile smartphone app, expanded student-career connections through a Career and Professional Development Services office and a Center for Teaching, Learning and Scholarship.
In the context of financial stability for private higher education, Saint Mary’s has been highly strategic. Implementation achievements to date include outcomes-based metrics for alumni engagement (incorporating loyalty, connection and giving), while Trustees have endorsed minimum giving expectations and 100% participation and the Board of Regents has been reshaped to focus on building a culture of philanthropy.
