Awards & Recognition
Colleges of Distinction
Recognized for its commitment to providing a high-quality undergraduate education that focuses on hands-on learning, strong student-teacher relationships, a vibrant campus life, and successful outcomes, College of Saint Mary was named a College of Distinction for the 2025-2026 academic year. This is the fourth straight year CSM has received this honor. CSM earned additional recognition in affordability, business, career development, education, equity and inclusion and nursing.
Niche Rankings
College of Saint Mary was recognized as the fifth Best Women's College in America and the 10th Best Catholic College in America by Niche for 2026.
U.S. News & World Report
College of Saint Mary was ranked as the No. 2 Best Value School in the Midwest for 2026 by U.S. News & World Report. CSM was also ranked in the top 25% of Best Colleges in the Midwest. U.S. News Best Colleges provides expert advice, rankings and data to help students navigate their education journey.
University Headquarters
College of Saint Mary was ranked second for Best Bachelor’s Programs in Nebraska, Best Master’s Programs in Nebraska and Best Online College Programs in Nebraska by University Headquarters (HQ), an industry-leading, independent educational organization. CSM was also ranked No. 11 for Best Affordable Paralegal Programs.
Champions of Character
College of Saint Mary is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Champions of Character Five-Star Award winner for the 2024-2025 academic year. Institutions are measured on a demonstrated commitment to Champions of Character and earn points in character training, academic focus, character recognition and character promotion.
BestColleges.com
Ranked as one of the Best Women’s Colleges in the nation for 2023, according to rankings released by BestColleges.com, a leading online resource for students and leading authority in higher education research and college planning. The University was also named the No. 3 Best College in Nebraska.
College Raptor
Selected as a 2024 Hidden Gem by College Raptor, a college planning platform that helps families discover college matches by AI algorithms to find the best colleges at the best price. CSM was selected for Hidden Gems in the Plains Region. This is the second straight year CSM has received this recognition.
Intelligent.com
Recognized as one of the Best Colleges in Nebraska for 2024 by Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for higher education program rankings and planning.
RNCareers.org
Recognized as one of the best nursing schools in Nebraska by RNCareers.org, a leading nursing education resource. CSM was ranked No. 8. This accolade further cements the University’s reputation as a nationally recognized Nursing School of Distinction.
The Princeton Review
Named one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company featured CSM in its online resource, “The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2024 Edition.” The guide is accessible for free at princetonreview.com/green-guide.
Research.com
College of Saint Mary was ranked as the second most popular college in Omaha and third most popular college in Nebraska for 2024-2025 by Research.com, an academic research portal.
OnlineMastersDegrees.org
Recognized as one of the best schools for online learning at the master’s level by OnlineMastersDegrees.org. CSM’s programs earned top honors for its Master of Science in Organizational Leadership.
