College of Saint Mary is a Catholic women's university located in Omaha, Nebraska. Enrollment totaled 1,018 students in fall of 2014: 735 undergraduates, 243 graduate, and 40 non-degree seeking students.
With more than 30 undergraduate and seven graduate degree programs, College of Saint Mary offers associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in high-demand majors such as occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, nursing, biology, business, education and legal studies. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1.
In 2004 CSM launched the largest campaign in its history, the $25 million Campaign for CSM. This effort was designed to provide critical resources in three key areas: Endowment building, growth of the annual scholarship fund and campus/facility improvements. The goal of $25 million was surpassed by the fall of 2009, yielding the transformation of the Campus Park (2006), the addition of Hixson-Lied Commons (2007), as well as the modernization of Walsh Hall (2007) and the renovation of CSM's Math and Science Building (2008). Hixson-Lied Commons is the location of CSM's Library as well as Christina's Place, a cafe offering coffee, breakfast and lunch options.
Since 2009, CSM's enrollment has been over 1,000 students and the residence halls have experienced record numbers in both 2010 and again in 2011 with 223 students living on-campus. The burgeoning residence halls and the need for additional OT laboratory space led to a $10 million campaign to build a new residence hall. CSM broke ground on the new residence hall in 2010, and Madonna Hall opened in 2012 to serve the Mothers Living & Learning program.
The College of Saint Mary offers several distinctive programs:
Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy and an early 18th-century Irishwoman, had a bold vision. She believed that nothing was more productive of good to society than the careful education of women.
Mother Mary Leo Gallagher, another Sister of Mercy, carried on the tradition and opened the doors of College of Saint Mary in 1923. In the old Continental Hotel at 15th and Castelar Streets, the work began. The church schools needed teachers. To be effective in these positions, Mother Gallagher believed women needed a strong liberal arts education. Mother Gallagher accomplished this feat when women had won the vote just three years prior.