Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) has once again been recognized among the top institutions in “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report. SMWC is ranked as one of the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest. The 2026 rankings were released earlier in the week:
Best – Regional Universities Midwest No. 42 out of 161
Social Mobility – Regional Universities Midwest No. 7 out of 159
The rankings are based on academic quality, the amount of financial aid with grants and scholarships to full-time undergraduate students and the graduation rates of first-generation and Pell-Grant awarded college students.
This is the 17th consecutive year SMWC has been included in the U.S. News & World Report Rankings for America’s Best Colleges. SMWC President Brennan J. Randolph said, “We are proud to be recognized as one of the top colleges in the Midwest. We believe this to be reflective of the quality of our programs, faculty, staff and students and our deep commitment to engage with our students in their academics.”
“We are excited to be recognized in these rankings,” said Janet Clark, Ph.D., provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Our institution is committed to providing a quality and affordable private education to our students that will lead them to successful careers upon graduation.”