
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation applies to the university as a whole; it is different from accreditation or approval of a particular professional program.
Institutional accreditation is relevant to eligibility for federal student aid and can matter when credits are considered for transfer. It does not require another college to accept a specific course. Students pursuing a licensed profession should separately confirm their program's current specialized accreditation or state approval and the rules in the state where they intend to practice. This is especially important for fields such as teaching, nursing, and counseling, where degree completion alone may not satisfy every licensing requirement.
First-year undergraduate applicants generally submit an application and a secondary-school transcript showing high school completion or an accepted equivalent. Saint Mary's considers the secondary-school academic record and GPA; it does not have an open-admission policy.
Reported first-year admissions criteria do not require SAT or ACT scores, class rank, or recommendations. An applicant should not treat an optional item as a condition of admission unless the current application or a specific program says otherwise. International applicants may need to document English-language proficiency, and requirements can differ for transfer, graduate, and professional applicants.
In the reported admissions cycle, Saint Mary's admitted 1,337 of 1,441 first-year applicants, about 93%. That figure describes one applicant pool, not an individual applicant's likelihood of admission or eligibility for a particular major. Applicants should confirm the current application calendar and any program-specific materials before submitting.
An applicant should check the fee shown in Saint Mary's current application pathway before submitting; undergraduate, graduate, and professional applications may use different procedures. An application charge, if one applies, is separate from an enrollment deposit or other post-admission payment.
Applicants who need a fee waiver should ask the admissions office about eligibility and how to request one before submitting a payment. The applicable procedure may depend on whether they apply directly to Saint Mary's or through another application platform.
Prospective students should not assume that Saint Mary's operates an Army, Air Force, or Navy ROTC unit on its Winona campus. Anyone planning to participate in ROTC should establish whether a current cross-enrollment arrangement is available before making an enrollment decision.
If participation through a host institution is possible, practical questions include travel between campuses, course scheduling, physical-training requirements, and whether the host program accepts Saint Mary's students. ROTC scholarship rules and eventual service obligations are set through the relevant military program, not simply by admission to the university.
Saint Mary's accepts transfer applicants and generally considers coursework from other accredited institutions. Transfer admission and transfer-credit acceptance are separate decisions: being admitted does not mean every previous course will fulfill a Saint Mary's degree requirement.
Applicants should expect to provide official transcripts from colleges attended and should check whether their application also requires a high school record. Reported transfer entry options include fall, spring, and summer. The university also reports accepting certain examination-based and evaluated learning credits, including CLEP, DSST, and ACE-recommended credit, subject to its applicable policies.
Before enrolling, a transfer applicant should request a course-by-course evaluation showing which credits count toward the intended major, general education, or electives. That evaluation is more useful for planning time to degree than a total of accepted credits alone. Program prerequisites and minimum credits that must be completed at Saint Mary's can also affect the final plan.
Saint Mary's students interested in studying abroad should begin with academic advising so an overseas experience fits their degree plan. Program availability, destinations, and formats can change by term and may differ between undergraduate and graduate study.
Before committing to a semester, summer, or shorter international program, students should establish who operates it, how courses will be approved for Saint Mary's credit, and whether it meets requirements in their major. They should also request a program-specific budget: airfare, housing, insurance, and personal expenses may differ substantially from a semester in Winona, and the treatment of institutional and federal aid depends on the approved program and the student's eligibility.
19% of admitted students enrolled (252 of 1,337)
Early Decision
NoEarly Action
NoPercent of students submitting ACT scores
10%High school completions
General Educational Development (GED) requiredComputer required
NoComputer purchase/lease plan is available in the institution
NoSecondary school GPA
RequiredSecondary school rank
Neither required nor recommendedSecondary school record
RequiredCompletion of college-preparatory program
Neither required nor recommendedRecommendations
Neither required nor recommendedFormal demonstration of competencies
Neither required nor recommendedAdmission test scores
Neither required nor recommendedTOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language
RequiredOther Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)
Neither required nor recommendedOpen admission policy
NoDual credit
NoCredit for life experiences
YesAdvanced placement (AP) credits
YesOrientation program
YesDisabilities services
YesOff-campus study
YesStudy abroad
YesWeekend/evening college
YesStudent can complete their preparation in certain areas of specialization
YesPreparation at another institution required
NoApproved by the state for initial certification or licensure of teacher
YesGenerally accepts credits
YesAccept ACE recommendation for credit
YesPossible transfer
Fall, Spring, SummerData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.