St. Mary's Ryken - A College Preparatory, Catholic High School Located near Washington D.C.

Located an hour from Washington D.C., St. Mary’s Ryken is a high school community committed to providing a high school experience with a focus on individual student success, personal growth and discovery of one’s own uniqueness. The years a student spends at St. Mary's Ryken are marked by a challenging college preparatory program, the forming of lifelong friendships, and the camaraderie of being part of fine arts, athletics and clubs. In 2021, SMR celebrated the accomplishments of 167 graduates from our 40th graduating class! St. Mary's Ryken graduates are compassionate, capable, honorable and respectful young adults. By graduation, our students are well prepared for college, committed to community service and responsible citizenship.

St. Mary’s Ryken faculty and staff are committed to providing the highest quality Catholic education to our students. Our 87-acre waterfront campus models a small college, with four academic buildings, a modern health and wellness center, campus cafe, several athletic fields, tennis courts and a stadium with a six-lane track. Students attend St. Mary's Ryken from a large geographic region, including 5 counties and two states. Although the majority of our students are Catholic, a variety of religions are represented and all are welcome.

Unique benefits of our high school experience

• Students experience diverse and progressive opportunities in academics, fine arts, athletics, service activities and campus ministry. St. Mary's Ryken has a tradition of academic success combined with the Catholic faith. St. Mary's Ryken students earn the highest SAT scores in our area and over $22 million in scholarships were earned by the 167 graduates from the Class of 2021!
• A dynamic sense of family and community has become our hallmark. The St. Mary’s Ryken community reaches beyond the high school years with students, alumni, athletic teams and faculty maintaining connections for years. This includes a solid alumni network that leads students to professional opportunities and strong friendships beyond high school.
• Each day students are welcomed by faculty and staff who share a strong moral foundation rooted in the values of compassion, simplicity, humility, trust and zeal. 
• The St. Mary's Ryken Faculty are committed to being accessible to students, and they have a genuine concern for the success of each student. Each is adept with staying on the cutting edge of technology and using technology to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. It is truly one of our proudest hallmarks as a school community!
• The importance of service to others and servant leadership is instilled in our curriculum and practiced daily.
• We offer a well-rounded athletic program and are a member of the highly competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. Annually, we celebrate championship-winning teams and student-athletes who commit to four-year universities to continue playing their sport.
• Our teaching environment and college-like campus promote self-discipline, and we instill high expectations for proper behavior on and off of our campus.
• Our four highly professional school counselors provide concierge college preparation services starting with a student's first year, and continuing through graduation.
• Our technology program paved the way for surrounding schools in the state, including a 1:1 iPad program, and Project Lead the Way computer science, cybersecurity and STEM courses that often lead to internships with local industry experts.
• Graduates from Catholic schools generally experience higher earning potential than public school graduates.
• Teaching and learning are tailored to meet the needs and goals of each student in our community.

Scholars Program

One of our trademark highlights is the St. Mary’s Ryken Scholars Program which offers accelerated curriculum concentrations to our students who want a more rigorous and advanced course of study. Featuring curriculum from the nationally recognized program – Project Lead the Way, the Scholars Program offers STEM and Humanities pathways in: 

• Biomedical Science
• Computer Science - Focus on Cybersecurity
• Engineering - Focus on Aerospace Engineering.
• Global and International Studies
• Humanities
• Performing Arts
• Visual Arts.

The STEM curriculum uses Project Lead the Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading provider of STEM programs. Students in the program enjoy exclusive field trips, a capstone senior project, distinguished addition for college applications, recognition at graduation and scholars program diploma and internship opportunities with local companies.

What Do Current International Students Want You to Know? 

• Students enjoy the opportunity to walk outside between their classes
• Warm, inclusive community atmosphere
• Many extracurricular activities and choices
• Over 150 course options
• Students receive daily support from faculty 
• The International Program office offers daily support on campus and is a highlight of the experience.