St. Mary's College of Maryland SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

St. Mary's College of Maryland sits in St. Mary's City, a small waterfront town in southern Maryland. It is a public university with about 1,603 students, and that small scale is what makes St. Mary's College of Maryland SAT scores worth studying before you apply. The middle 50 percent of admitted students land between 1143 and 1340 on the SAT. The average score is 1261, so half of the class clears that mark and half sits below it. The acceptance rate runs near 68.6%, which reads as reachable rather than a long shot.

A rate above 2 out of 3 does not mean the reading is optional. With roughly 1,603 students on campus, each admitted class stays small, and the score bands still carry weight. The section splits tell you where. Reading and Writing runs from 590 to 690 across the middle 50 percent. Math runs from 553 to 650. That gap of 40 points at the top end says the verbal side sets the higher bar here. In the most recent federal data the school is test optional, so you can apply without scores, but a strong result still gives the file a clear number to stand on.

Read the SAT bands as three zones. Below 1143 puts you under the 25th percentile, which means most admitted students scored higher than you did. Inside the 1143 to 1340 range puts you with the middle 50 percent, right where the typical admit lands. Above 1340 puts you in the top quarter of the class, and at a school admitting about 68.6% of applicants, that upper range gives you real cushion.

The section numbers sharpen the picture. Reading and Writing runs 590 to 690, while Math runs 553 to 650. The verbal side sits about 40 points higher at the top, so a strong Reading and Writing score does more to move you up the range than an equal gain in Math. If Math is your stronger section, you still want Reading and Writing near or above 690 to reach the top quarter. Balance helps, but the verbal side is where St. Mary's admitted students post their highest marks.

Admitted students at St. Mary's College of Maryland typically present an unweighted GPA in the range of 3.3 to 3.7. That band is wide on purpose. It leaves room for a student who stumbled early and then climbed, and for one who held steady across four years.

Grades matter, but so does what those grades were earned in. A 3.5 in tough courses counts as much as, and often more than, a higher number in an easier load. Admissions readers treat the transcript as a story, not a single average. If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that 3.3 to 3.7 band, a strong SAT is the fastest way to offset it. A score at or above 1261, the school's average, tells a reader that the number on your report card does not cap what you can do. Pair a rising grade trend with a solid test result and the lower GPA stops being the headline.

Set your targets against the bands. A composite at or above 1143, the 25th percentile, keeps you inside the admitted range. Push to 1340 or higher and you sit in the top quarter, where scores stop being the question and the rest of your file carries the weight. Aiming for the 1261 average is a safe middle target if you want to match the typical admit.

Break that goal into sections. Reading and Writing near 690 and Math near 650 puts you at the top of both bands. Since the verbal side sets the higher bar here, give it the first block of your study time. Our score plans map those section targets into a weekly schedule so you know what to drill and when. Start with a diagnostic to see which section is holding you back, then build from the gap it reveals. Your next step is simple: take that first practice test and mark where you stand today.