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Frequently Asked Questions

   

 

Frequently Asked Questions

   

 

Why We’re Becoming Marist University 

Marist College is transitioning to Marist University to better reflect the comprehensive, global institution it has become—continuing the personal attention students get from a college with all the opportunities and resources of a university. This change will strengthen Marist's appeal to new audiences throughout the U.S. and abroad.  

On Jan. 29, 2025, Marist will officially become a university. We will mark the occasion with a community-wide celebration involving students, alumni, faculty, and staff around the world. Subscribe to Inside Marist, follow Marist on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn, or check our website for updates and how to participate in the celebration.  

The decision to become a university was made after thoughtful and extensive assessment of insights and input from Marist's entire community over the last year - students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Trustees - as well as prospective students and their families, and secondary school counselors worldwide. The Marist Board of Trustees voted unanimously in support of this change, and we received subsequent approval of university designation from the New York State Board of Regents in December.  

No, we believe Marist is right "in the sweet spot" in terms of its current size. We have not been growing our undergraduate population and have enrolled a similar size incoming class of around 1,300 first-year students each fall for the last several years. We do not have any plans to grow our undergraduate population as we are again targeting the same size class for fall 2025. This enables us to deliver a highly personalized living and learning experience as we focus on what has long defined Marist's identity: small classes taught by faculty who are mentors as well as educators, an emphasis on experiential learning blended with liberal arts, and a close-knit community that shows genuine care and respect for each other.

Yes, since its inception in 1929, Marist has grown into an internationally distinctive institution and  today offers students:  

  • Six distinct schools offering more than 90 programs of study  
  • 13 graduate degrees, plus a doctorate program  
  • A branch campus in Florence, Italy, full-time staff in Dublin and Madrid, and over 75 study abroad programs  
  • 23 Division I athletic teams  
  • Both liberal arts and pre-professional programs with valuable ties to businesses and other industry partners  
  • Extensive research and experiential learning opportunities in and out of the classroom, such as the nationally ranked Marist Poll, the Center for Sports Communication, and the IBM Joint Study Program, to name just a few  

Becoming a university does not change our core identity. Marist's mission and values and the vision articulated in Marist 100 to "Improve the world through education" remain central to Marist's identity and aspirations for the future.  

In the U.S., people often use "college" and "university" interchangeably as both offer undergraduate degrees, but the difference lies primarily in the advanced degrees offered. An institution must offer graduate programs in at least three or more disciplines to qualify as a university in New York state. Today, Marist offers 13 graduate degrees, as well as a doctorate program, across six distinct schools.  

  

Academic Questions

Yes, Marist will retain its emphasis on a liberal arts core and excellent degree programs in traditional liberal arts disciplines. A broad-based education rooted in the liberal arts has never been more important in a rapidly changing world. The powerful combination of liberal arts and pre-professional studies remains a distinctive element of Marist's "and, not or" approach to education.  

No, we will continue to focus on adding more full-time faculty in the coming years. That is one of the core priorities outlined in Marist 100 and is a big part of what separates the Marist educational experience from other schools - faculty whose focus is on teaching and the close, personal attention they're able to give students.  

No, a change to university status does not signal any change in course loads, research obligations or expectations of creative work. We do not aspire to be an R1 research institution, and our current focus on faculty-mentored research and creative endeavors in collaboration with students, often in small groups and even one-on-one, is one of the more distinctive aspects of a Marist education we will preserve.  

The New York state definition of a university requires an institution to offer graduate programs in three or more discipline areas, which Marist already does with the 13 graduate degrees it offers, plus a doctorate program. Relatedly, market research shows prospective graduate students more commonly look at universities when searching for graduate programs, believing a college only offers bachelor's degrees, and therefore the university name helps broaden the appeal of an institution's graduate programs.  

There is no change to the credits required to graduate.

The Class of 2025 will be the first to receive Marist University diplomas – those graduating in both January and May 2025.  

You do not need to notify lenders. Questions can be directed to Student Financial Services.

Admission Questions

No, Marist will continue to apply the same high standards and comprehensive review of a student's application, including factors such as academic achievement, potential, work ethic, community service, leadership, and other special talents. We do anticipate the university designation will broaden the appeal of a Marist education as our own survey research of U.S. and international high school students found that approximately a quarter of all students said they are more interested in applying to universities than colleges.  

A university designation can strengthen an institution's recruitment of international students and create stronger understanding of its educational mission because outside the U.S. a "college" is associated with a high school. As a result, we have found that students, families, and counselors overseas often think Marist College is a high school. For example, in Australia there are two high schools named Marist College, creating confusion for international applicants. In our own Educational Advisory Board (EAB) commissioned survey of 106 international counselors, nearly one-third said they would be more likely to recommend Marist to prospective students if it were a university, illustrating the clarity it will help bring to recruiting efforts. 

  

Alumni Questions

Alumni do not need a new diploma. Marist College was the institution at the time of your graduation and your diploma is accurate and current. Our policy is to ensure official documents reflect the name of the institution at the time your degree was conferred.

New diplomas with Marist University will not be issued as Marist College was the official institution at the time of your graduation.  

  

After Jan. 29, you may want to use "Marist University (formerly Marist College)." It is not required, but it will accurately reflect the current official name of the institution while also noting the proper College designation at the time you graduated.  

Marist's social media team is working with LinkedIn to ensure it takes the necessary steps to make the name change available in LinkedIn profiles once we officially become Marist University on Jan. 29, 2025. We will provide additional information on any steps necessary to ensure Marist University is reflected in your LinkedIn profile as it becomes available.

A small quantity of apparel bearing the university name will become available on Jan. 29, 2025, when we officially transition to university status, and we will continue to grow that inventory over time. Apparel with just the "Marist" logo will also continue to be sold.