St. Mary's University is a Catholic and Marianist liberal arts institution located on 135 acres northwest of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. St. Mary's is a nationally recognized master's level school ranked among the top colleges in the west for best value and academic reputation by U.S. News and World Report. In 2010, St. Mary's was named by Washington Monthly as first in the nation in the category of Master's Universities for promoting an ethic of service to country; fostering scientific and humanistic research; and performing as an engine of social mobility.