Founded in 1842, Mary Baldwin University. is a Private college. Located in Virginia, which is a city setting in Virginia, the campus itself is Urban. The campus is home to 1,310 full time undergraduate students, and 438 full time graduate students.
The Mary Baldwin University Academic calendar runs on a Four-one-four plan basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 10:1. There are 81 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Mary Baldwin University include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.
Quick Facts
Acceptance Rate
99%
Application Deadline
15-Nov
Application Fee
0
SAT Range
860-1080
ACT Range
18-25
Admissions at MBU are considered Less Selective, with ,13% of all applicants being admitted.
In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 8 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.
81% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 49% were in the top quarter, and 20% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.
STUDENT LIFE Reviews
We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at Mary Baldwin University.
4%
“We”re apathetic”
9%
“We know about current events and vote”
70%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
17%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
13%
“We save it for the classroom”
13%
“Sometimes, but not often”
30%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
43%
“All the time, including weekends”
9%
“I”m always terrified”
4%
“I only go out in groups”
30%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
57%
“I feel extremely safe”
33%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
42%
“We bought the gear”
25%
“We live for the big game”
5%
“It”s not really our thing”
9%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
41%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
45%
“We”re a very artistic group”
9%
“Haven”t met them”
0%
“Available in class”
43%
“They keep regular office hours”
48%
“They”re always available”
83%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
13%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
4%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
9%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
57%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
22%
“We only party on weekends”
13%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
22%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
74%
“There might be people who do”
4%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
0%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
4%
“We”re apathetic”
9%
“We know about current events and vote”
70%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
17%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
13%
“We save it for the classroom”
13%
“Sometimes, but not often”
30%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
43%
“All the time, including weekends”
9%
“I”m always terrified”
4%
“I only go out in groups”
30%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
57%
“I feel extremely safe”
33%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
42%
“We bought the gear”
25%
“We live for the big game”
5%
“It”s not really our thing”
9%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
41%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
45%
“We”re a very artistic group”
9%
“Haven”t met them”
0%
“Available in class”
43%
“They keep regular office hours”
48%
“They”re always available”
83%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
13%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
4%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
50 Students rated on-campus housing 3.7 stars. 24 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate off-campus housing?
36 Students rated off-campus housing 3.2 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate campus food?
52 Students rated campus food 3 stars. 13 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate campus facilities?
51 Students rated campus facilities 3.9 stars. 31 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate class size?
51 Students rated class size 4.6 stars. 65 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate school activities?
51 Students rated school activities 3.8 stars. 25 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate local services?
53 Students rated local services 3.8 stars. 32 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate academics?
52 Students rated academics 4 stars. 37 % gave the school a 5.0.
Mary Baldwin University REVIEWS
What's your overall opinion of Mary Baldwin University?
24 Students rated Mary Baldwin University
Jacob
04/15/2021
Attending Mary Baldwin University was a very positive experience. I completed a Bachelors in Science of Nursing and was very satisfied with the small class sizes, uplifting culture, responsiveness/positive interactions with my professors. My only recommendation would be to price out tuition since the university is considered private.
Josie
05/26/2020
This past semester was my first semester at Mary Baldwin University, but the forth semester in college (I attended a community college for two years, my last semester there was this spring but I went ahead and started at MBU as well). I actually am a online student, as well as many of there students are. And that can be diffcult, because I don't see my teachers in person. But MBU does such a great job at making sure I am doing what I need to at all times. There advisors have been so helpful, and never failed to answer my questions quickly (and I always have lots of questions). They provide me with lots of tools to be successful, such as scholarships and grants. And overall I truly love this school. This past semester was hard on a lot of students, but MBU stayed on top of things from the beginning, making sure keeping there students safe was the top protity. They made sure there students were provided with the tools they needed to do there work at home, and be able to finish this semester strong. Even though I was already online, many of my teachers understood how this was simply a unknown and scary time, and they gave us extra time to finish the work for the class. This school shows it students it cares, and that's what I love most about Mary Baldwin.
Amaya
02/03/2020
From a score to 1 - 10, with 10 being the highest. I would say out of all the colleges I visit this is by far a 10. The people I met has been very helpful. The students appears to be friendly,. The instructors know you by name not as a number.. Mary Baldwin has smaller classroom side, means better education.
Jackson
08/24/2019
This school is not a fun school. You go to class, study, and do it all over again. If you are a social person, this is not the place for you. There is a large diversity in school, but only less than 2,00 people who go here. This college is a very stereotypical liberal arts school with no activities.
Anndreia
06/21/2019
It is a medium sized school with a great teacher t student ratio, but there is not much to do around the school. The students make their own fun and the school provides a lot of amenities t compensate that issue. This is a great place to learn, but if you are looking for a big party school this is not it!
Aayana
05/24/2019
Mary Baldwin University is a great school in terms of class size and academics. You get a true one on one experience and really get to know your professor most times. However, Mary Baldwin also fails to care about their students in some aspects. Students' mental health have seriously decayed from either sports coaches maltreatment or the school's neglect of personal feelings and issues. Students often have to find and account for their own degree success as most adviser's know little to nothing about keeping you on track to be successful for your degree in 4 years. Unless you account for your own personal success you will most often get stuck completing an extra year for unknown requirements. Students also do not have a true say at Mary Baldwin. Athletes have complained of mental abuse from their coaches and racist remarks towards certain players of certain affiliation and no consequences have been taken. In fact, said coaches have gotten rewarded with a promotion, raise, or accolades for this behavior. Athletes have been singled out for their individuality and looks and the university has taken no measures to correct this. Lastly, when athletes have felt safe and confided in higher authority they have been mocked, belittled, or cast off. The only upside to Mary Baldwin is CERTAIN faculty members like the financial aid office, and members of the teaching staff have shown true compassion and honesty towards students. If Mary Baldwin were to be rated on a scale of 1-5, 3 stars are sufficient only because of certain teachers and faculty members who have upheld the original reputation Mary Baldwin presents itself as to prospective students.
Alexis
04/29/2019
Mary Baldwin University is a wonderful campus that promotes a variety of opportunities for students to get involved outside of the classroom. The small campus size provides students with the experience of getting to know their professors personally and always be able to see a familiar face on campus!
Catherine
03/18/2019
Mary Baldwin University is a place that brings people together and help you find friends that you never thought you were going to find. The programs are great here and give every students something to do outside of class time. The size may seem big, but our classes are about an average of about 20 people which is great if you lie having more one-on-one time with your professor. Speaking of professors, all the professors here at MBU are super helpful and have office hours, and some have appointment based hours which is really helpful. The professors here push the students to their highest potential and help them in any way they can so that any student can thrive in life and go where they want to.
Bria
02/01/2019
I believe that Mary Baldwin University is a very connected school with many opportunities. The small community atmosphere really helps my learning environment thrive. The isn't necessarily bad but it could use some work. They try to provide everything that we need and then some. They have a really great Social Work program with teachers who are really committed to helping their students pass. The effort seen from the school to connect with the students is very uplifting and I'm very proud to say that I'm a Mary Baldwin Student. Go Squirrels!
Haley
12/22/2018
It is a small school, but that does not take away from its glamour. The beautiful town of Staunton is wrapped around the school and you will always see friendly faces. The class sizes are very small but that is not a bad thing! Transportation is readily available. Overall, a pretty good school. Just a little bit expensive in my opinion.
Erin
11/28/2018
I loved it when I was in school. As an alum, I have a different opinion. The whole idea of single sex education is changing. I do not agree with the changes the administration is making to the campus or HOW they are making those changes. The current administration is horrible!
Sarah
07/15/2018
My overall opinion of my current school, Mary Baldwin University, is that it is absolutely amazing. I have been there twice to tour the campus. The campus itself is quite small, which I was looking for in the school that I chose. Oh, and the class size, its AMAZING! In each class the maximum number is around 17, compared to other colleges that have 20 plus students in a class at one time. I was looking for a college with a smaller class size because I like more 1 on 1 time with my teachers, it helps me learn and comprehend more.
Overall, I love this college, it has everything I've ever wanted in a school, and they're doing everything they can to make my education better.
Destinae
05/18/2018
My overall opinion of Mary Baldwin University is that it's a great school with a lot of opportunity choices and learning environment. The campus is big but not to big , you are able to really get to know your professors and classmates which creates a good bond.
Melanie
05/18/2018
While I have had to take time to adjust to the college life I have realized how hard Mary Baldwin is working to make our campus bigger and better. They have worked diligently to bring in more sports and helping to refurbish the dorms.
Overall, I have grown to love Mary Baldwin and all its beauty.
Kylie
11/15/2017
Mary Baldwin University is great overall. It gives you a chance to develop who you are through an excellent community. As for me, I have been able to excel on an academic standpoint and that has really motivated me. They also are very easy going and easy to work with which helps make it a great experience.
The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Mary Baldwin University is 99%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020, _____ students were offered admission.
What should every freshman at your school know before they start?
Hit the ground running! Jump into new challanges and try new things. You will make new friends and keep your old ones. There will be people you connect with, and sometimes they'll come from unexpected places. Get involved! Your niche is there, just waiting for you to find it. Hundreds of opportunities are right in front of you, so grab them! Travel abroad, it's an amazing experience. But most importantly, try and figure out who you are and what you want to do with your life, and embrace it! Take chances. And be bold. (Boldy Baldwin!).
Diverse. We have a little bit of just about everybody. There is no judgement based on race, religion, gender, or sexuality. The students are wonderful and nice you just have to get out of your shell a little.
What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?
I don't have very much to complain about, but the worst thing would have to be the general education requirements. I'm not entirely sure how they match up with other schools' requirements, but it just seems as if there are a lot. I transferred to Mary Baldwin during my junior year, so it's somewhat stressful to know that I only have two years to fit in my major and minor requirements and any missing general education requirements.
What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?
I wish I had known more about the clique-ish dynamics so I started out making more of an effort to ingratiate myself with the important people. I also wish I had known for sure what my major and other interests were so I hadn't taken unnecessary and uninteresting courses.
What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?
Mary Baldwin girls are known for wearing ribbons and pearls. It's a stereotype that is true a lot of the time. There is also a stereotype that most of the girls are lesbians. This is not true at all. Of course there are lesbians on campus, but there are also straight females. Just because you go to a female college does not mean you are a lesbian. Also, because Mary Baldwin is a private college, many think that you have to be rich to be here. That is far from the truth. Mary Baldwin offers a huge amount of scholarships to most if not all students. So the students here are very diverse when it comes to income.
When I tell people I'm going to Mary Baldwin College, usually I have to include where it's located and by located I mean near what major city. (Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, etc.) The college is situated in a nice area of Staunton. Downtown is gorgeous and very vibrant. There is plenty of activities and events to get involved with that help or benefit the community. Also, you can have a lot of fun (clean, honest to goodness fun! No alcohol or drugs needed!)
The classes are generally smaller in size. The largest I've had was about 30 students and it was a general ed freshman class. The professors will either lecture or hold round table discussions. Generally, the classroom is very relaxed and an environment that promotes discussion and sometimes debates (which can be a lot of fun!)
When you step off campus, you are in the beautiful, historic downtown of Staunton. There are small, locally owned boutiques that offer a variety of shopping and food options. Historic Downtown is also home to the Blackfriar's Playhouse which is a replica of the theatre Shakespeare had his plays performed in. On any given day, there is a performance going on there.
All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA.
Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.
100% of students attending Mary Baldwin University receive some sort of financial aid.
61% were awarded federal grants.80%received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.