As The National Public Honors College, St. Mary’s College of Maryland offers an undergraduate liberal arts education and small-college experience like those found at exceptional private colleges. St. Mary’s College shares the hallmarks of private institutions: an outstanding faculty, talented students, high academic standards, a challenging curriculum, small classes, a sense of community, and a spirit of intellectual inquiry. But as a state institution of higher education, St. Mary’s College is also committed to the ideals of affordability, accessibility, and diversity. By combining these virtues of public and private education, St. Mary’s College provides a unique alternative for students and their families. St. Mary’s College of Maryland is named for the place it marks: the 17th-century capital of Maryland. The spectacular waterfront setting is in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay region. The campus is 75 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. and 97 miles south of Baltimore.