"St Mary's has earned a consistently high ranking in the National Student Survey since the poll began a decade ago, and has achieved a top five status for the past five years, heading the table in 2012 and coming second this year. Amongst the present student body, 96% have expressed overall satisfaction with their course. St Mary's believes that in an increasingly disconnected and secular world, its faith-based ethos fosters a spirit of community and a commitment to values which is deeply appreciated by its students.
Since 2000 St Mary's has successfully positioned itself in the Northern Ireland higher education sector as a teaching-led, highly relevant and ambitious liberal arts-style college of Queen's University. Teacher education remains the college's main business and St Mary's, as an autonomous institution, continues to build on a catholic identity and tradition which was first established in 1900. Today great emphasis is placed on the integration of values into the academic curriculum, on quality assurance and the enhancement of teaching as well as on student support and guidance. Internships and international study exchange programmes are also key to the developmental experience offered to students, as is the opportunity to learn through the medium of Irish. Active community engagement with a wide range of organisations locally in the Falls Road area adds a further dimension to the service-orientated culture of the campus.
There is a great demand for places at St Mary's, but despite this the college excels in recruiting and retaining students from disadvantaged backgrounds and from families which have little tradition of university level education. Students from all backgrounds report that campus life is enjoyable and vibrant, offering a wide range of cultural as well as social and sporting activities. Most students achieve excellent academic outcomes and develop into highly employable graduates.
It is little wonder that the College's student body was so much to the fore in challenging the Minister Dr Stephen Farry when he sought to make St Mary's non-viable earlier in the year."
The full list of NSS rankings can be viewed on the Times Higher Education website and in the Telegraph.
Top ranked Belfast University | Irish American Business Chamber & Network (IABCN)