St. Mary's Academy

We Believe. Two words that inspired our 12 founding sisters as they welcomed the first students to St. Mary’s Academy in 1859. And today, we still believe. We believe in developing the whole person, in going to college, in leading and changing the world. We believe in girls who lift each other up. We believe in the values of our Catholic founders, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. We believe in social justice. We believe in the artist, the thinker, the dancer, the coder, the athlete, the servant, and the leader—especially the leader. We believe young women are powerful.

St. Mary’s Academy is Oregon's oldest continuously-operating secondary school. A nationally recognized school of excellence, St. Mary's is an established Catholic all-girls college-preparatory high school that readies students for the future. We invite you to review our Profile of Distinction.

With a more than 150-year tradition of educating young women, St. Mary's continues to serve a diverse school community and offer a challenging academic program that fosters the development of the whole person. St. Mary's is large enough to provide a wide variety of experiences, yet small enough to focus on the individual needs of each and every student, as we have done for 10,000 young women since 1859.

Our urban setting in downtown Portland enhances the school's curriculum with unique access to enriching educational and cultural opportunities that complement the classroom experience. Our many partnerships with companies, educational and artistic institutions, nonprofit agencies, and local and global leaders expand the experiences and impact of our students every day.

For most families considering St. Mary’s Academy, one of the first questions that comes up is “Why should we consider an all-girls school?” It’s certainly an important question, and one that we love to answer. Simply put, St. Mary’s can offer young women an educational experience that a co-educational school cannot.

One of the primary goals of St. Mary's is to prepare young women for higher education while aiding their development as spiritual, responsible, and ethical leaders in their communities. Since 1859, St. Mary's Academy has fulfilled this mission, and we attribute much of our success to the positive influence of an all-female student body.

St. Mary’s Academy students affirm research conclusions that a single-sex environment empowers young women to excel as students and leaders. In major subject areas, our students perform above the national average, with more than 40 percent of our graduates intending to pursue math or science as their field of study in college. An average of 100 hundred percent of St. Mary's Academy graduates attend college.

Whether from years of seeing the results in our own student body, or courtesy of the significant research data on the subject of all-girls education, we know that young women who attend all-girls schools demonstrate greater academic achievement, score higher on college admissions tests, have higher confidence in STEM subject areas, including mathematics and computer skills, and generally feel more confident and empowered.

An all-girls education also removes gender bias from the learning environment. Gender bias in the classroom can inhibit young women from excelling academically; research shows that girls in co-educational classrooms tend to be shortchanged, especially in math and science. Boys often dominate discussion, monopolize teachers' time, and receive more affirming comments about their ability. At St. Mary’s Academy, girls play every role in every class and extracurricular activity, never taking a backseat to boys.

Finally, our students do in fact live social lives that include men and boys, and we have a number of male faculty and staff at SMA. The advantage of an all-girls school is not in trying to create a “bubble” for students, but to provide the best possible learning environment where our students discover just how powerful young women can be.

St. Mary's is an environment rich in values and grounded in the Catholic tradition. It is a place where young women can develop their individual potential. Our liberal arts curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive and world-focused academic program that prepares our students for higher education and a lifetime of learning. Located in downtown Portland, St. Mary's urban setting enhances the school's curriculum with unique access to enriching educational and cultural opportunities.

Situated within walking distance of Portland State University, The Oregon Historical Society, Keller Auditorium, the Portland Art Museum and a short streetcar ride from the Central Library and Powell's Books, St. Mary's girls can draw from a multitude of resources that complement their classroom experience. Faculty and staff are dedicated to the progress and social development of every student, following their complete educational development at St. Mary's.