Saint Mary's School United States Flag

A 4.5 Recommended North Carolina, US
Or via social:
Home Boarding schools Saint Mary's School
Admission Office admission@sms.edu

School Overview

Data & methodology

Evaluation method

Ranking Basis

Data Scale: FindingSchool leverages an extensive data set that exceeds that of similar rankings, ensuring accurate and relevant evaluations through well-defined weight distributions and scoring mechanisms.

Weight Distribution: We gathered feedback from thousands of families and consulted over 50 industry experts to create ranking weights tailored to the needs of Asian students.

Scoring Mechanism: Each of the 46 distinct data points is evaluated using unique mathematical models, scoring based on its position within the overall data distribution.

Basis for Ranking: Instead of absolute values, we focus on relative differences in data. There is no fixed score threshold for separating schools; instead, the “admission cutoff” is adjusted annually based on data trends, similar to college entrance exams.

Evaluation Mechanism

The school page currently displays an evaluation card that includes an overall rating and ratings across five key categories, totaling 46 data points. The five categories are: Geographic Community, Academic Strength, Matriculation Level, Extracurricular Activities, and FindingSchool Reviews. Visitors can easily view the overall score and ratings for each dimension (ranging from A+ to C). For boarding schools, detailed total score rankings are also included

The data used for evaluations and rankings comes from three primary sources: official school data, public data, and user-submitted data on FindingSchool.

Scoring Mechanism

The entire scoring system is based on mathematical models derived from statistical analysis of samples from hundreds of schools across various levels. Each data point receives a corresponding rating based on its percentile position within the overall predicted distribution.

  • In the boarding school evaluation:: A- and above account for 45% of the total, B- and above account for 40%, C accounts for 15%.

  • In the day school evaluation: A- and above account for 30% of the total, B- and above account for 51%, C and others account for 19%.

2025 Evaluation Methodology

1. [30% - Matriculation Dimension] : Ivy League admission rate, admission rate for Top 25 National Universities and Top 5 Liberal Arts Colleges, admission rate for Top 50 National Universities and Top 10 Liberal Arts Colleges, admission rate for Top 100 National Universities and Top 25 Liberal Arts Colleges, along with a summary of historical admissions data.

2. [24% - Academic Dimension]: Course offerings (AP, IB, Honors, and Advanced courses), percentage of teachers with a master’s degree or higher, percentage of AP exam scores of 3, 4, or 5, average scores on standardized tests (SAT and ACT), scores in AMC math competitions, and results in FRC robotics competitions.

3. [14% - Extracurricular Activities]: Alumni donation rate, number of clubs and activities, ratings for competitive sports teams, and ratings for arts programs.

4. [12% - FindingSchool Reviews] : FindingSchool website rating, review comments on FindingSchool, and historical rating trends.

5. [8% - Geographic Community]: State resource evaluation, density score of nearby top universities, distance to the nearest international airport, convenience of local amenities, transportation convenience, city crime rate, and educational level of the local population.

Overall
A
Matriculation A
Academics A-
Extracurriculars B+
Community A
Reviews B
At Saint Mary’s School, we challenge girls academically – to be BOLD, to be INSPIRED, to be PREPARED, and to become EXTRAORDINARY. What sets Saint Mary's School apart from other schools? Our parents say it’s the safety in an urban environment, the small classes, and extraordinary college admission services from three full-time college counselors. Our students say it’s the sense of community, the Honor Code, “space to be yourself,” the location (near cultural centers, concerts, shopping, and restaurants), and feeling accepted and empowered in their learning and social growth. Two identity markers also make Saint Mary’s School a distinct option for high school: we are all-girls, and we are a boarding school, as well as a day school. “Growing up girl” is harder than ever, and Saint Mary’s is intentional in its efforts in helping girls grow up healthy. In an all-girl environment, Saint Mary’s students enjoy not just equal opportunity, but every opportunity, and learning takes center stage without social distractions. Here girls are supported by a culture, climate, and community that together generate high levels of personal and academic self-confidence and a can-do attitude. It’s a place where it’s cool to work hard and be a good student.
As a boarding school, Saint Mary’s provides a 24-hour learning environment focused on education supported by heightened interaction between students and their teachers, who see their work as a calling, not a job. Day students at Saint Mary’s have unique advantages, not found at other day schools, for extraordinary access to the school’s facilities, programs, and people—days and nights, weekdays and weekends. Of course, Saint Mary’s is more than college preparatory, independent, all-girls, day and boarding school. It is an honor code school, an Episcopal school, a tablet computer school, and an old school with a storied history and proud heritage. As one alumna aptly describes it, “Saint Mary’s is a fabulously modern take on a very traditional concept.”
Show more
Saint Mary's School With Reviews, Requirements 2024 | FindingSchool
Gallery
Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School Saint Mary's School
If you'd like to add Saint Mary's School to your favorites, compare it with other schools, or share it with friends, here are some quick links.

School Stats

Average
Current School
Tuition
$64250
Enrollment
306
International Students
10%
Faculty with Advanced Degrees
80%
Teacher-Student Ratio
1:8
Endowment
$37 millions
AP
19
Average SAT Score
1260
Average ACT Score
26
Class Size
15
Boarding %
40

Matriculation

Matriculation

(2023)
Ranking University/College Students
#1 Princeton University 1
#2 Columbia University 1
#21 Emory University 2
#25 University of Virginia 1
#28 New York University 3
#28 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 14
#28 Wake Forest University 2
#34 University of California: San Diego 1
#42 Case Western Reserve University 1
#48 University of Georgia 2
#49 Northeastern University 1
#55 University of Miami 1
LAC #11 Washington and Lee University 2
#59 University of Washington 1
#63 Agnes Scott College 1
#68 Fordham University 1
#70 Wofford College 2
#72 Reed College 1
#75 Clemson University 1
#75 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 1
#79 American University 2
#79 North Carolina State University 5
#83 Elon University 1
#83 Texas Christian University 4
Auburn University 1
#103 Drexel University 1
#103 Miami University: Oxford 2
#104 University of Colorado Boulder 1
LAC #22 University of Richmond 1
#117 University of South Carolina: Columbia 2
#127 University of Kentucky 2
#137 University of Alabama 6
#149 University of Mary Washington 1
#151 University of Mississippi 1
#202 University of North Carolina at Wilmington 1
#219 Hampton University 1
#219 University of North Carolina at Charlotte 1
LAC #46 Furman University 1
#234 East Carolina University 5
LAC #50 The University of the South 1
#285 University of North Texas 1
#299 Marshall University 1
Appalachian State University 3
College of Charleston 2
Columbia College Chicago 1
Louisiana State University at Eunice 1
University of Lynchburg 1
University of Southern Maine 1
View all
Matriculation
Ranking University/College 2023 2022 2021 2020 2011-2016 Total
All schools 72 53 57 55 136
#1 Princeton University 1 1 1 3
#2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1 1
#7 Duke University 1 1
#9 Brown University 1 1
#12 University of Chicago 1 1
#12 Columbia University 1 1
#15 University of California: Berkeley 3 3
#15 University of California: Los Angeles 1 admitted 1 2
#18 Dartmouth College 1 1
#20 University of Notre Dame 2 2
#21 University of Michigan 1 1
#22 Georgetown University 2 2
#22 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 14 12 admitted 13 13 50 102
#24 Emory University 2 1 1 2 6
#24 University of Virginia 1 2 admitted 2 2 7
#24 Carnegie Mellon University 1 1
#28 University of Florida 1 1 2
#28 University of California: San Diego 1 1 2
#28 University of Southern California 2 2
#33 Georgia Institute of Technology 1 1
#33 University of California: Irvine 1 1
#35 University of Wisconsin-Madison 1 admitted 1 2
#35 New York University 3 1 admitted 3 7
#35 University of California: Santa Barbara 1 1 2
#39 Boston College 1 2 1 4
#40 Tufts University 1 1 2
#40 University of Washington 1 1 2
#43 Boston University 1 admitted 1 1 3
#47 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 1 1
#47 Wake Forest University 2 1 admitted 1 4 15 23
#47 University of Georgia 2 3 admitted 4 6 15
#49 Ohio State University: Columbus Campus 1 admitted 1
#49 Purdue University 1 1
#53 Northeastern University 1 1 2
#53 College of William and Mary 1 admitted 1 2
#53 Case Western Reserve University 1 1 2
#57 Penn State University Park 1 3 4
#57 University of Maryland: College Park 1 1
#60 Michigan State University 1 admitted 1
#60 Brandeis University 1 1
#60 North Carolina State University 5 3 admitted 11 7 26
#60 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 3 3
#67 George Washington University 2 4 6
#67 University of Pittsburgh 1 1
#67 University of Miami 1 1
#73 Tulane University 1 1
#73 Indiana University Bloomington 1 1 2
#73 SUNY University at Binghamton 1 1
#76 Pepperdine University 1 admitted 1
#86 Clemson University 1 2 admitted 5 3 11
#89 Fordham University 1 1
#89 Southern Methodist University 3 3
#93 Auburn University 1 1 1 3
#93 Baylor University 2 admitted 2
#98 Texas Christian University 4 1 admitted 1 2 8
#98 Drexel University 1 1
#105 American University 2 2 4
#105 University of Tennessee: Knoxville 4 admitted 1 5
#105 University of Colorado Boulder 1 2 1 2 6
#115 Howard University 2 2
#124 James Madison University 1 admitted 1
#124 University of South Carolina: Columbia 2 1 admitted 1 1 5
#133 Elon University 1 1 admitted 2 4
#133 University of Vermont 1 admitted 3 4
#133 Miami University: Oxford 2 1 3
#137 University of Alabama 6 2 admitted 12 20
#142 Virginia Commonwealth University 1 1
#159 University of Kentucky 2 2
#163 University of Mississippi 1 1 admitted 2 4
#170 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 1 admitted 1
#178 University of North Carolina at Charlotte 1 1
#195 East Carolina University 5 1 admitted 2 8
#201 University of North Carolina at Wilmington 1 2 admitted 1 4
#227 Western Carolina University 1 admitted 1
#236 Belmont University 1 1
#249 Suffolk University 1 admitted 1
#260 University of North Texas 1 1
#280 Hampton University 1 1
#320 Campbell University 1 admitted 1
#332 Marshall University 1 1
Liberty University 1 admitted 1
Matriculation
Ranking University/College 2023 2022 2021 2020 2011-2016 Total
All schools 10 11 14 3 25
#4 Pomona College 1 1
#4 Wellesley College 1 1
#4 Swarthmore College 1 1
#16 Davidson College 3 admitted 5 8
#21 Washington and Lee University 2 1 admitted 1 1 5 10
#25 University of Richmond 1 1 admitted 2 4
#30 Bryn Mawr College 1 1
#34 Mount Holyoke College 3 3
#38 Skidmore College 1 1
#46 Connecticut College 1 1
#46 Furman University 1 1 2
#46 Dickinson College 2 2
#51 The University of the South 1 1 admitted 2 1 6 11
#56 Rhodes College 1 1
#59 Wofford College 2 2 admitted 2 6
#63 Gettysburg College 1 1
#63 Agnes Scott College 1 1
#67 Reed College 1 1
#70 Kalamazoo College 1 1
#70 Muhlenberg College 1 1
#107 Randolph-Macon College 1 admitted 1
#124 Hollins University 1 admitted 1
#130 Meredith College 1 admitted 1
#139 University of North Carolina at Asheville 1 1
#154 University of Mary Washington 1 1

AP Scores

(2021)
Number of students took AP test
163
Number of tests taken
315
42%
21%
37%
Score 5
Score 4
Score 3
Other scores

Academics

AP

(19)
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Environmental Science
French Language and Culture
Psychology
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Environmental Science
French Language and Culture
Psychology
Spanish Language and Culture
Statistics
Chemistry
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
United States Government and Politics
United States History
Studio Art: Drawing
Comparative Government and Politics
Latin
Physics 1
Spanish Literature and Culture
Computer Science A
View all

Sports

(12)
Basketball
Cross Country
Field Hockey
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Basketball
Cross Country
Field Hockey
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball
Swimming
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball
Cheerleading
View all

Extracurricular Activities and Clubs

(41)
Admission Ambassadors
Art Share Club
Babysitters Club
Babysitting Club
Black Student Union Bookmark Club
Bullet Journal Club
Admission Ambassadors
Art Share Club
Babysitters Club
Babysitting Club
Black Student Union Bookmark Club
Bullet Journal Club
Chess Club
Development Ambassadors
The Echo senior washtub band/singing group
Fashion Club
FOCUS Ministry Club
Folding for Fun Origami Club
Future Medical Professionals Club
Garden Club
Girls in Science
GirlUp Club
Granddaughters Club
HOLA(Hispanic/LatinX) Affinity Group
Ladies in Blue a cappella group
LGBTQ+ Club
Model United Nations
National Honor Society
One Love Club
Photography Club
Pickleball Club
Psychology Club Quill and Scroll International Honor Society for High School Journalists
Robotics Club
Science Olympiad Service League
Shop 1842 Club
Ski Club
Spanish Club
Speech and Debate Club
Stocks and Finance Club
Supersonic Dance Crew (KPop)
Teen Entrepreneurship Club
The Belles student newspaper Trapshooting Club
Undivided Attention Club (tutoring)
Writing Club
Young Democrats
Young
Republicans
View all

Arts

(20)
Chamber Choir
Dance
Music
Theater
Graphic Design
Art
Chamber Choir
Dance
Music
Theater
Graphic Design
Art
Tech Theater
Choir
Orchestra
Digital Photography
Drawing
Film Production
Portfolio
2D Art
Art Survey
View all

Contact Saint Mary's School

Admissions Officer
1.
Select up to 5 questions for the school Below are 10 common questions that parents often ask
2.
Contact Information FindingSchool will forward your request to Saint Mary's School in English. The school may contact you back via the following information:
Name *
Phone
Email *
(*) Required information

School Link

Apply

Saint Mary's School is a member of SAO (The Standard Application Online) platform. Click the button below to apply.

Contact Info

http://www.sms.edu
900 Hillsborough St. Raleigh, NC 27603
919-424-4100
admission@sms.edu
North Carolina

Basic Info

All-girls
Boarding Grades: 9-12
Urban
ESL: No
Year Founded: 1842
Campus Size: 23 acres
Boarding Rate: 40%
Religious Affiliation: school.Episcopal

Application Info

Deadline: Rolling
Interview: Skype, On Campus, Admission Travel to China, Zoom
Other Accepted Scores: Duolingo
School Code:
TOEFL: 5600
SSAT: 6790
Spots for Chinese Students Next Year: 20

Frequently Ask Questions about Saint Mary's School

Tell me a bit about Saint Mary's School.
Saint Mary's School is All-girls private boarding school located in North Carolina, US. It was founded 1842 , and currently has about 306 students, 10.00% of whom are international students.

For more official information, please visit http://www.sms.edu.
Does Saint Mary's School have rigorous academic requirements?
Saint Mary's School is offering 19 AP courses.

In recent years, 21 of their students score 4 and 5 in AP exams.

Saint Mary's School also have 80% of faculties whose degrees are master and above.
Where do Saint Mary's School students typically go for their colleges?
Based on the most recent matriculation data, 28.24% go to top 50 US universities and colleges*, 3.53% go to top 25, and about 2.35% go to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and MIT.

*Ranking is based on the 2024 US News College Ranking.
What is the application requirement for Saint Mary's School?
Similar to most private schools in the US, Saint Mary's School’s typical admission requirements include school transcript, recommendation letter, application essay, and interview (often optional, but highly recommended).
What is the latest tuition for Saint Mary's School’s All-girls student?
The total fee for Saint Mary's School in 2024 is $64,250 which typically includes tuition, boarding fee, student management fee and a few other fees associated with managing international students.

For more information, please contact school’s admission team at admission@sms.edu .
Where is Saint Mary's School located?
Saint Mary's School is located in the State of North Carolina of USA. The closest major city is Raleigh, which is about 1 miles away from school. Most families can choose Raleigh-Durham International Airport to travel in and out of school.
How popular is Saint Mary's School on FindingSchool network?
Based on FindingSchool monthly traffic data as well as onsite search record, Saint Mary's School is among the most popular schools, within top 158 for all schools on FindingSchool.

Also Saint Mary's School has been favorited by 154 users.
How to start with an application with Saint Mary's School?
The first stop is to carefully review the school profile on FindingSchool to learn more about Saint Mary's School. Most of them are directly provided by the school.

Also it is highly recommended to visit Saint Mary's School’s official site: http://www.sms.edu or call them at 919-424-4100.
Please share a few nearby schools that are close to Saint Mary's School?
The closest major city is Raleigh. You can find out more schools near Raleigh here.
What is the FindingSchool rating for Saint Mary's School?
The overall rating for Saint Mary's School is A.

The section ratings of Saint Mary's School are:
A for Matriculation
A- for Academics
B+ for Extracurriculum
A for Community
B for Students and Parents reviews

Nearby City

Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, is renowned for its prestigious universities, including North Carolina State University. Together with Chapel Hill and Durham, it forms the Research Triangle, a hub for technology and academic research. The city is home to historic landmarks like the North Carolina State Capitol, a Greek Revival-style building from the 19th century, featuring a statue of George Washington dressed as a Roman general in its rotunda. Raleigh’s blend of educational institutions, cultural attractions, and vibrant tech industry makes it a dynamic and growing city.
Population (2022) 392,552
Cost of Living Lower than the national average 4%
Nearby Airport Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Campus 360° Tour

Explore the campus through a Virtual Tour (powered by ).
FindingSchool collects its data from a variety of reliable sources, including schools, advisors, official U.S. statistics, and feedback from actual parents and students.
Feedback
Compare()
Go to compare
Remove all Hide list
()