All Marist students must take what is known as "core" classes during their four years in order to graduate. There are a number of different 3-credit core classes students can take, usually consisting of writing, history, cultural diversity, and a philosophy class. The requirements are the same for all majors and emphasize Marist's tradition of a liberal arts education while ensuring that students are introduced to a broad range of disciplines. The student-faculty ratio at Marist is 16:1, and the school has over 50 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The average freshman retention rate is 88.8 percent.