education, and B.S. in human services. Most courses are offered in five or eight-week sessions, instead of traditional 15-week semesters. Classes meet once each week, from 6-9:30 p.m. Sessions run on a year-around schedule. Academics Mount St. Mary's University was named one of the top 25 best regional universities by U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges 2015. The Mount was selected 22nd out of 130 schools in the Regional Universities-North Division. Additionally, the Mount ranked #3 for best colleges for veterans in the north region. Seminary Mount Saint Mary's Seminary enrolls on average over 150 full-time residential seminarians each year. They represent more than 25 dioceses from the U.S., as well as overseas. Students must be sponsored by a diocese or religious order before applying to study at the seminary. Some students are co-sponsored by the Archdiocese for the Military Services. It is the second oldest Catholic seminary in the United States (after St. Mary's in Baltimore). The Catholic Review writes that the seminary has "a solid tradition of excellence in the formation of candidates for the Catholic priesthood." The seminary is well known for its more traditional theology, discipline and secluded rural setting. The seminary has produced over 2600 priests and has been referred to as the "Cradle of Bishops" because 51 of its graduates have shepherded dioceses. John Hughes, an early graduate of the seminary, was the first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York. Class of 1826 graduate John McCloskey became the first American cardinal in 1875. The seminary online blog On Mary's Mountain describes the daily life of the seminary community. Seminarians also write the Seminary Newsletter. Students and faculty In 2014-15 the university enrolled 1,741 undergraduate students and 499 graduate students, with a total of 2,240 students. The student population is about 55% female and 45% male. Of the 1,689 undergraduate students, 55% are from Maryland and 33% are from other Mid-Atlantic States. 33 total states are represented, as well as 13 foreign countries. Around 85% of undergraduates live on campus. The student-faculty ratio 13:1, and 46 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Mount St. Mary's include: Business/Commerce, Criminology, Biological Sciences, Elementary/Secondary Education, and Accounting. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 80 percent. For students who want to graduate early, the university offers a three-year degree option. Student publications The Mountain Echo