More selective than 30% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $77,659. College Scorecard.
Higher than 67% of California colleges we cover and 79% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 80% of California colleges we cover and 92% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Saint Mary's College of California acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,308 applicants, Saint Mary's College of California admitted 3,816 and 503 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Saint Mary's College of California tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
Saint Mary's College of California majors, earnings & careers
Saint Mary's College of California offers 57 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Science & Math · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Business & Finance · 7
- Arts & Design · 6
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Education · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Saint Mary's College of California
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $107,570 | $25,000 |
| Business | $80,262 | $24,000 |
| Psychology | $70,123 | $26,998 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $68,501 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $66,265 | $24,300 |
| Communications | $64,456 | $23,250 |
| Political Science | $62,651 | $25,967 |
| English | $57,651 | $24,125 |
Quick list of all 57 majors
- Accounting$107,570
- Anthropology—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Archeology—
- Area Studies—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biochemistry—
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
- Biology—
- Biopsychology—
- Business$80,262
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other—
- Communications$64,456
- Computer Science—
- Dance—
- Data Science—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Engineering—
- English$57,651
- English Language and Literature / Letters, Other—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance—
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other—
- Health Administration—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$66,265
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$68,501
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Mathematics and Statistics, Other—
- Music—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$62,651
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$70,123
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Psychology (Research)—
- Psychology, Other—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in San Francisco
Overall prices in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,805. Housing costs 95% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 24 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (very high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Contra Costa County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Contra Costa County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Saint Mary's College of California with similar schools
Similar private colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Mary's College of California | 87% | $30,378 | 70% | $78,812 | This school |
| The Master's University and Seminary | 84% | $32,647 | 68% | $57,106 | |
| University of Redlands | 83% | $30,031 | 67% | $72,690 | |
| Otis College of Art and Design | 82% | $51,248 | 66% | $58,152 | |
| Azusa Pacific University | 88% | $22,212 | 62% | $66,677 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Saint Mary's College of California would cost you $2,269 less per year than The Master's University and Seminary, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Saint Mary's College of California, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$18,783).
- Saint Mary's College of California gives aided families $25,083 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | Saint Mary's College of California | The Master's University and Seminary | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $57,803 | $39,020 | +$18,783 |
| Books & supplies | $938 | $938 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $16,900 | $13,700 | +$3,200 |
| Personal & travel | $3,978 | $2,872 | +$1,106 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,960 | −$1,685 | −$275 |
| Sticker price | $77,659 | $54,845 | +$22,814 |
| Average grants | −$47,281 | −$22,198 | −$25,083 |
| You pay | $30,378 | $32,647 | −$2,269 |
“+” means Saint Mary's College of California costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Saint Mary's College of California
What is the Saint Mary's College of California acceptance rate?
Saint Mary's College of California accepts 87% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,816 of 4,308 applicants were admitted.
How much does Saint Mary's College of California cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $77,659 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $30,378 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $19,462 and families earning $110k+ pay $40,581.
How much do Saint Mary's College of California graduates earn?
Former Saint Mary's College of California students earn a median $78,812 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Saint Mary's College of California graduation rate?
70% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 85% return for their second year.
Is Saint Mary's College of California the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Saint Mary's College of California with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Saint Mary's College of California: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/saint-marys-college-of-california (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).