Nestled between the Hudson River and the hills of Poughkeepsie is Marist College, one of the more beautiful campuses our team has visited. It’s easy to see why rowers love Marist, but easy also to see how this school, about an hour and a half north of New York City, attracts so many different kinds of students.
With about 4,500 undergraduates on campus and a small graduate population, Marist’s student-to-faculty ratio is 15:1. There are no lecture halls on campus and professors are very accessible. Marist College is not classified as a research institution, so professors spend much of their time with undergraduates.
There are no engineering or nursing programs at Marist, but many of the 44 bachelor’s programs are very strong. The sports communications program is unique, and the most popular programs are business and communications. Students in both of these majors take advantage of the campus’s proximity to New York City, and business majors enjoy a fully-functional trading floor in the campus Investment Center. There are several accelerated five-year programs, during which students earn Master’s degrees. All students are require to take a presentation/public speaking class.
Every major has an internship coordinator, and many majors require internships. Fashion design and merchandising are separate majors, and computer science and game design are also popular majors. Marist College also runs the Hudson River Valley Institute, which promotes the ecology and environmental aspects of the region. You may have also heard of the Marist Poll, which gauges public opinion in high-profile political campaigns.
About 60% of the students are from out-of-state, and Marist is looking for involved students and leaders. Athletics are strong here and school spirit is high. My tour guide was a fashion design major from New York City and very involved in minority student activities. She was thrilled with her choice and having a great time at this beautiful school.
Both Evelyn and Caleb have visited Marist College. You can see all of their photos in the album below.