Mount St. Mary’s University (MSMU) is a top ranked private Catholic university located in Los Angeles, California. Founded as a women’s college by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1925, MSMU became a university in 2015 and now enrolls male students as well as female. Currently, Mount St. Mary’s is the only Catholic college in the Western United States that focuses primarily on educating female students, with 90% of the student body made up of women.
Mission
The mission of Mount St. Mary’s is to offer a “dynamic learning experience” to their student body. As a college focusing on the education of women, they strive for academic excellence while keeping leadership and a spirit of service in light. The end goal is to produce graduates capable of using obtained knowledge to better themselves and their community.
Campus Setting
The college owns two campuses in the Los Angeles area. The Chalon Campus, built in 1928, is located in Brentwood neighborhood near the J. Paul Getty Center. It boasts views of the Santa Monica mountains as well as the Pacific ocean. The Doheny Campus, acquired during the 1962 expansion, is located in downtown Los Angeles. It was once home to the Doheny Family estate and features many historic buildings built in the Queen Anne style.
Academics
Focus on comprehensive academic excellence is of the utmost importance at MSMU. Students can pursue a bachelor of arts or science degree with more than thirty majors to choose from. Notable programs include political science, education, biology, film and traditional liberal arts. The college is also home to a nationally recognized nursing program.
Athletics
Mount St. Mary’s does not have a traditional sports program, however students are encouraged to stay active, fit, and healthy. The college offers health services and psychological counseling to meet student’s health goals. The college also provides a variety of fitness education classes and intramural volleyball and basketball, which students are encouraged to get involved in.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition at MSMU is expensive, as it is as most private colleges, but the school does provide several scholarships for academically gifted freshmen, and information on acquiring loans, work study aid, grants, and outside scholarships through their financial service department. Please refer to the school’s website for the most up-to-date tuition and financial aid information.
Accreditation
Mount St. Mary’s is fully accredited by many institutions. Some of these include the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, The California Board of Registered Nursing, and the American Physical Therapy Association.
Admissions
Admission to Mount St. Mary’s is fairly competitive. The school admits roughly 80% of all applicants. Freshmen entering a baccalaureate program typically hold a high school GPA of about 3.3 to 4.0. Average SAT scores are in the 1400 to 1640 range.
For more information on admissions, you can visit the school’s website located at https://www.msmu.edu/admission.
