St. Mary’s College of California

Why Saint Mary's College Of California?

Rooted in the Liberal Arts and a Powerful Idea

Saint Mary’s is grounded in the liberal arts and the life and work of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the 17th-century founder of the Christian Brothers. The Brothers and the Lasallian spirit they embody are the guiding light for everything we do.

Built on a Bold Vision

The College was founded in 1863, one of the oldest schools in the West, to educate the children of early San Francisco’s working class. Today, with our feet planted firmly in the 21st century, we remain faithful to our beginnings, with more than a third of our students the first in their families to go to college.

Inclusive and Diverse

Inclusive excellence is a core principle of a Lasallian education. We believe that everyone should have access to a quality education. While we are selective, choosing applicants for their academic performance, we also look for spirit and drive.
We live the Beneficence Pledge because it is the right thing to do and it is intrinsic to our ultimate education goal: to propel students to successful careers and meaningful lives.

Passionate Learners

With small classes, challenging academics, a community of passionate learners, and world-class faculty focused on teaching, you simply can’t hide and you really won’t want to. So much awaits students ready to explore and build their own successful lives.

Making Connections

Saint Mary’s education is built around the Collegiate Seminar, which links more than the great ideas of the world’s greatest thinkers. It unites students, professors and the Great Books in a true intellectual discourse.

Student life

What makes life here at Saint Mary’s unique? Is it being surrounded by 420 acres of hills, pines, hidden gardens, stunning architecture and state-of-the-art classrooms? Or is it the strong community infused with Lasallian values that is filled with enthusiasm, idealism and passion? So much of your college experience comprises “Student Life” and knowing who we are and what we do for you will help you see what makes Saint Mary’s so special.

Global Perspective

There is a whole world to discover and Saint Mary’s brings the best of the world to life on our campus through our global connections, academic excellence, our winning athletic programs, the diversity of the Bay Area, our passionate focus on social justice, the study of the great books and our inclusive learning environment.

Adventures Ahead

In your first year as an undergraduate, you’ll meet more people in less time than you ever have before. You’ll have intellectual (and not-so-intellectual) conversations, late-night pizza parties, impromptu volleyball games, movie breaks and philosophical debates. You will begin to figure out that it’s not exaggerating to say that the four years you spend in college will be some of the most exciting, memorable years of your life and the friends and experiences you have in college will help shape the course of your life. Student Life helps you make those initial connections that will span the entirety of your time at Saint Mary’s.

The Student Life Cycle

There is a lifecycle of sorts for students during their four-year journey at Saint Mary’s one that starts with Orientation and Weekend of Welcome and continues to move you from your residential experience, the campus activities you discover, the leadership opportunities you pursue and the traditions and community that you become a part of through till convocation and graduation. You’ll learn about the things that make our campus unique from our student organizations to our student leadership and Intercultural groups to those special big annual campus events that bring everyone out to celebrate.

Your Support System

Transitions can be tough and that is why everyone involved and working in Student Life is here to help support you along your way. From the Dean of Students to our staff in the Health and Wellness Center, Counseling Center, Women’s Resource Center and Public Safety offices -everyone of our staff is here to make sure Saint Mary’s students get the most out of their college experience.

The Basics

What would student life be without the basics? Here is all the stuff you really want to know about our residence halls, off-campus living options and our dining options and meal plans. Because with everything there is to do and learn at Saint Mary’s, you’ll still need to eat and sleep!

Our students have no shortage of events, clubs, and recreational activities to de-stress and connect with their friends.

Take a look at: https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/smc-experience