September 14, 2021—Marist was once again recognized as a Top 10 Regional University – North by U.S. News and World Report. In addition, the College was also named one of the Most Innovative Schools in the region (#2 overall) and highly ranked for its focus on Undergraduate Teaching (#7 overall). These last two rankings are based upon surveys of college presidents, provosts, and admissions deans, who were asked to nominate schools making substantial innovative improvements in the higher education industry.

The last 18 months have been extremely challenging and these rankings are gratifying to the entire Marist community who worked tirelessly to ensure that Marist not only survived a difficult year but emerged stronger. This recognition coupled with the College’s most recent A+ rating by Fitch Financial confirms that the College is very well positioned for the future.

“Over the last decade Marist has been very intentional in how we have built our academic programs, which combine very distinctive educational opportunities and high-impact global experiences with an intimate liberal arts approach that provides highly personalized attention from faculty,” said Thom Wermuth, Vice President for Academic Affairs. “These are the very reasons why our students are very satisfied with their experience at Marist and are highly successful after graduation.” A few of these areas are highlighted below:

Study abroad: Study abroad is one of many experiential learning opportunities that add value to the Marist experience for students. Ranked #3 in the United States for study abroad by Open Doors Report, Marist creates pathways for its students to grow by utilizing the world as a classroom. Marist offers two very unique full-year study abroad programs for first-year students in Florence, Italy and Dublin, Ireland. Marist’s Florence branch campus was founded to be the international face of the College’s commitment to global education and serves as the hub for our study abroad program. Over 50% of all Marist students study abroad during their undergraduate experience.

Real-World Experience: Marist has created numerous Centers of Excellence at its main campus in New York that provide unique opportunities and combine in-classroom learning with real-world professional experiences. These centers include The Hudson River Valley Institute, The Marist Poll, the Marist/IBM Joint Study, the Center for Civic Engagement and Leadership, and the Center for Sports Communication, among others. In addition, Marist has established significant partnerships with industry leaders including but not limited to the FDR Presidential Library & Museum, ESPN, and American Red Cross, to name a few. The College leverages these relationships to enhance the educational experience for our students. Approximately 85% of Marist students participate in one or more credit-bearing internships during their undergraduate experience.

Accelerated Degree Programs: Marist currently offers six dual degrees, which provide students with unique and affordable options to work toward their bachelor's and master's degrees simultaneously. Through these programs, students streamline their academic journey and are equipped with the knowledge and skills to enter the workforce. Dual degree programs offered at Marist include:

• Accounting (B.S.)/Professional Accountancy (M.S.)
• Communication (B.A.)/Integrated Marketing Communication (M.A.)
• Computer Science (B.S./M.S.)
• Information Systems (B.S./M.S.)
• Teaching (B.A./M.A.)
• Psychology (B.A.)/Educational Psychology (M.A.)

Marist’s first-rate educational experience is validated by its students. Ninety-five percent of students are satisfied with their college experience, highlighted by a strong first-year retention rate of 88%. Marist’s graduation rate is among the highest in the country, at 85%, and following graduation, our five-year rolling average indicates that 97% of students are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months.