Maria college

Maria College is a private Catholic college in Albany, New York.

Maria College was founded in 1958 by the Religious Sisters of Mercy to serve as a sister formation college, an institution where aspiring Sisters of Mercy could receive a college degree that would qualify them to teach. Under the leadership of Maria College's first President, Sister Mary Borromeo, the focus on educating only religious sisters slowly changed, and the College received permission to open its doors to the public in 1964.

Originally chartered by the New York Board of Regents as a junior college, Maria College offered a number of associate degrees in areas ranging from early childhood education to business management. Degree emphasis later changed to the health sciences, with particular emphasis on nursing, physical therapy assistant and occupational therapy assistant programs. The charter was changed in September 2013 to allow Maria College to become a baccalaureate degree-granting institution. Today, the College offers certificate, associate and bachelor's degree programs in a variety of disciplines, and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Maria College is a non-profit private higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large town of Albany (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), New York. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Maria College is a very small (uniRank enrollment range: 500-999 students) coeducational higher education institution formally affiliated with the Christian-Catholic religion. Maria College offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 61 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students' past academic record and grades. The admission rate range is 30-40% making this US higher education organization a very selective institution.