Match #1
University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX
Profile closeness83/100
Admit rate98%
- 4,440 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 53%, close to 58%
- Acceptance rate 98%, close to 98%
The colleges most similar to St. Mary's University are University of the Incarnate Word, Saint Edward's University, and University of St Thomas-Texas. St. Mary's University admits 98% of applicants and has an average net price of $17,775 a year; 4 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 1 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with St. Mary's University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to St. Mary's University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Saint Edward's University
Austin, TX
Profile closeness83/100
Admit rate81%
- 2,493 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 57%, close to 58%
- Enrollment 2,493 students, close to 1,951
Match #3
University of St Thomas-Texas
Houston, TX
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate90%
- 3,220 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Average net price $15,446, close to $17,775
- Acceptance rate 90%, close to 98%
Match #4
Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX
Profile closeness67/100
Admit rate66%
- 1,066 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Average net price $15,176, close to $17,775
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #5
University of Dallas
Irving, TX
Profile closeness62/100
Admit rate53%
- 1,403 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Enrollment 1,403 students, close to 1,951
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #6
Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Profile closeness85/100
Admit rate93%
- 2,812 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 61%, close to 58%
- Enrollment 2,812 students, close to 1,951
Match #7
Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA
Profile closeness81/100
Admit rate69%
- 2,628 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 55%, close to 58%
- Enrollment 2,628 students, close to 1,951
Match #8
University of Holy Cross
New Orleans, LA
Profile closeness50/100
Admit rate74%
- 471 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #9
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA
Profile closeness94/100
Admit rate97%
- 1,953 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 60%, close to 58%
- Enrollment 1,953 students, close to 1,951
Match #10
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN
Profile closeness92/100
Admit rate96%
- 1,567 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 56%, close to 58%
- Enrollment 1,567 students, close to 1,951
Questions about St. Mary's University alternatives
What colleges are similar to St. Mary's University?
The closest matches to St. Mary's University are University of the Incarnate Word, Saint Edward's University, University of St Thomas-Texas, Our Lady of the Lake University, and University of Dallas. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is St. Mary's University hard to get into?
St. Mary's University admitted 98% of its 4,305 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 1 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which St. Mary's University alternatives cost less?
4 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than St. Mary's University ($17,775 a year), including University of Holy Cross ($8,705), Our Lady of the Lake University ($15,176), and University of St Thomas-Texas ($15,446). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
