Saint Mary's University is a secular, metropolitan university founded in 1802, located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Saint Mary's University is a modern, secular and metropolitan university, the second largest in Nova Scotia. It is located in the heart of Halifax, on Canada's East Coast. The university's website describes it as one of Canada's top primarily undergraduate universities, known for international collaborations, entrepreneurship and research. Its campus is based in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq.
Saint Mary's was founded in Halifax in 1802. The university's address is 923 Robie Street, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 3C3.
The university offers programs in Arts, Science, Business and Graduate studies to more than 5,500 students from over 117 countries. It offers 54 unique undergraduate degree, diploma and certificate programs and 32 graduate degree, diploma and certificate programs. Almost 98% of full-time professors have their PhD, and the average undergraduate class size is 35. The university is ranked as the top undergraduate research university in Nova Scotia by Research Infosource Inc. (2024). It has five Canada Research Chairs and eight Senate-approved research centres and institutes.
The campus is a walkable campus contained within one city block. The university has three residences (Vanier, Rice, Loyola) with 700 beds. Listed facilities include the Homburg Centre (SMUfit), SMUfit Pilates Studio, squash courts, an onsite Lifemark Physiotherapy clinic, the Patrick Power Library and student study rooms.
Admission routes include undergraduate admission for Canadian applicants through a general application, and early admission. International admission is available under American-patterned, British-patterned and Caribbean (CXC/CAPE) curricula.
The university received the STARS Gold rating for sustainability, awarded by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Its website lists 13 varsity teams plus student clubs and intramural sports.