St. Mary's University is a Catholic and Marianist liberal arts institution located on 135 acres (0.55 km) west of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. St. Mary's is a nationally recognized master's-level school ranked among the top colleges in the west for best value and academic reputation by U.S. News and World Report.[4][5] In 2017, St. Mary's was ranked by Washington Monthly for its contribution to the public good in terms of social mobility, research and service.[6][7]