Best In The Midwest

Princeton Review Ranks USM as a Top Regional University for 15 Straight Years

For 15 consecutive years, outstanding academic programs, personalized education, and positive student outcomes at the University of Saint Mary have helped it earn recognition as a “Best Midwestern College.”

The Princeton Review’s annual listing of top regional colleges includes 159 institutions across the Midwest. USM is one of only a half-dozen schools recognized in the Kansas City area.

Twelve states were represented in the Midwest category, including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. In total, only 656 schools – about 22 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges – received a regional best designation.

“We are grateful to be continually recognized by The Princeton Review as a ‘Best Midwestern College,’” said Michelle Metzinger, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “This recognition affirms the dedication of our faculty and staff in offering an exceptional experience for our students and that those efforts are well received by the student body. Saint Mary students recognize that USM lives our mission and are very pleased with our university – and that’s what really matters.”

Part of The Princeton Review’s research included a student survey, which resulted in positive commentary from current Spires. Survey responses mentioned that faculty are “very personal and great at what they do” and that they “try to incorporate more innovative learning techniques.” Students also acknowledged that USM is a “small community of students working toward excellence both inside and outside the classroom” and that their peers are “friendly and understanding.”