Timeline of women's colleges in the United States
Encyclopedia
The following is a timeline of women's colleges in the United States
. These are institutions of higher education in the United States whose student populations are comprised exclusively or almost exclusively of women. They are often liberal arts colleges
. There are approximately sixty active women's colleges in the U.S.
Colleges are listed chronologically by the date in which they opened their doors to students.
Many of the schools began as either schools for girls, academies
(which during the late 18th and early 19th centuries was the equivalent of secondary schools), or as a teaching seminary (which during the early 19th century were forms of secular higher education), rather than as a chartered college. During the 19th century in the United States, "Seminaries educated women for the only socially acceptable occupation: teaching. Only unmarried women could be teachers. Many early women's colleges began as female seminaries and were responsible for producing an important corps of educators."
The following is a list of "oldest" and "first" schools:
y*1857: Charlotte Female Institute: founded in Charlotte, North Carolina
; became the coeducational Queens University of Charlotte
in 1987 after World War II
Women's colleges in the United States
Women's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
. These are institutions of higher education in the United States whose student populations are comprised exclusively or almost exclusively of women. They are often liberal arts colleges
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
. There are approximately sixty active women's colleges in the U.S.
Colleges are listed chronologically by the date in which they opened their doors to students.
First and oldest
- Main article: Timeline of historically black women's colleges
Many of the schools began as either schools for girls, academies
Academy (England)
In the education system of England, an academy is a school that is directly funded by central government and independent of control by local government in England. An academy may receive additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, either financially or in kind...
(which during the late 18th and early 19th centuries was the equivalent of secondary schools), or as a teaching seminary (which during the early 19th century were forms of secular higher education), rather than as a chartered college. During the 19th century in the United States, "Seminaries educated women for the only socially acceptable occupation: teaching. Only unmarried women could be teachers. Many early women's colleges began as female seminaries and were responsible for producing an important corps of educators."
The following is a list of "oldest" and "first" schools:
- 1742: Bethlehem Female Seminary, (now Moravian CollegeMoravian CollegeMoravian College a private liberal arts college, and the associated Moravian Theological Seminary are located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region.-History:...
): established as a seminary for girls, it eventually became the Moravian Seminary and College for Women and later merged with nearby schools to become the coeducational school, Moravian College. - 1772: Single Sister's House, (now Salem CollegeSalem CollegeSalem College is a liberal arts women's college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina founded in 1772. Originally established as a primary school, it later became an academy and finally a college. It is the oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college...
): Originally established as a primary school, it later became an academy (high school) and finally a college. It is the oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college, and the oldest female institution in the Southern United StatesSouthern United StatesThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. - 1818: Elizabeth Female AcademyElizabeth Female AcademyThe Elizabeth Female Academy, founded in 1818 in Washington, Mississippi, was the first female educational institution in Mississippi. It was named after Mrs. Elizabeth Roach , who donated the land on which the school was located....
: first female educational institution in MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
; it closed in 1843 - 1827: The Linden Wood School for Girls (now Lindenwood UniversityLindenwood UniversityLindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States...
): is the first institution of higher education for women west of the Mississippi RiverMississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. - 1833: Columbia Female Academy (now Stephens CollegeStephens CollegeStephens College is a women's college located in Columbia, Missouri. It is the second oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college in the United States. It was founded on August 24, 1833 as the Columbia Female Academy. In 1856, David H. Hickman turned it into a college,...
): Originally established as an academy (high school), it later became a college. It is the second oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college. - 1837: St. Mary's Hall (now Doane Academy): Originally established as a female seminary by George Washington DoaneGeorge Washington DoaneGeorge Washington Doane was a United States churchman, educator, and bishop in the Episcopal Church for the Diocese of New Jersey.-Biography:Doane was born in Trenton, New Jersey...
2nd Bishop of the Episcopal Church of New Jersey. First academic school founded on church principles in the United States. Now a PK-12 Co-educational day school. - 1837: Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (now Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
): It is the oldest (and first) of the Seven SistersSeven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...
. It is also the oldest school which was established from inception (chartered in 1836) as an institution of higher education for women (teaching seminary) that is still a women's college. - 1839: Georgia Female College (now Wesleyan CollegeWesleyan CollegeWesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college located in Macon, Georgia, United States.-History:The school was chartered on December 23, 1836 as the Georgia Female College, and opened its doors to students on January 7, 1839. The school was renamed Wesleyan Female College in 1843...
): It is the oldest (and the first) school which was established from inception (chartered in 1836) as a full college for women.
- 1848: Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art and DesignMoore College of Art and DesignMoore College of Art & Design educates students for careers in the visual arts. Moore is an independent college of art and design. Located in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Moore is the first and only women's visual arts college in the nation, and one of only two in the world...
): It is the first and only art school which is a women's college. - 1851: Cherokee Female SeminaryCherokee Female SeminaryThe Cherokee Female Seminary, , serves as the centerpiece of Northeastern State University, located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States. The building was constructed to replace the original Cherokee Female Seminary that burnt to the ground Easter Sunday 1887...
: It is the first institute of higher learning exclusively for women the United States west of the Mississippi River. Along with the Cherokee Male SeminaryCherokee Male SeminaryThe Cherokee Male Seminary was a tribal college, established by the Cherokee Nation, and one of first institutions of higher learning established west of the Mississippi River.-Creation:...
, this was the first college created by a tribe instead of the US federal government. - 1851: Tennessee and Alabama Female Institute (later Mary Sharp CollegeMary Sharp CollegeMary Sharp College , first known as the Tennessee and Alabama Female Institute, was a women's college, located in Winchester, Tennessee. It was named after the abolitionist Mary Sharp....
): It was the first women's college to grant college degrees to women that were the equivalent of those given to men; the college closed due to financial hardship in 1896. - 1852: Young Ladies Seminary (now Mills CollegeMills CollegeMills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
): It is the first women's college in United States west of the Rocky MountainsRocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States... - 1855: Davenport Female College (later Davenport College): Founded in Lenoir, North CarolinaLenoir, North CarolinaLenoir is a city in Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 18,228 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell County. Lenoir is located in the Blue Ridge foothills. The city also contains the Brushy Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains...
. Merged with Greensboro CollegeGreensboro CollegeGreensboro College is a four-year, independent, coeducational liberal-arts college, also offering four master's degrees, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1838...
in 1938.http://www.caldwellheritagemuseum.org/davcollhist/davcoll.html
- 1855: Elmira Female College (now Elmira CollegeElmira CollegeElmira College is a coeducational private liberal arts college located in Elmira, in New York State's Southern Tier region.The college is noted as the oldest college still in existence which granted degrees to women that were the equivalent of those given to men...
): It is the oldest college still in existence which (as a women's college) granted degrees to women that were the equivalent of those given to men; the college became coeducational in 1969. - 1861: Vassar CollegeVassar CollegeVassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
: One of the Seven SistersSeven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...
which was established from inception as a college for women; it became coeducational in 1969. - 1867: Scotia Seminary (now Barber-Scotia CollegeBarber-Scotia CollegeBarber–Scotia College is a historically black college located in Concord, North Carolina, United States.-Scotia Seminary:Barber-Scotia began as a female seminary in 1867. Scotia Seminary was founded by the Reverend Luke Dorland and chartered in 1870...
): It was the first historically black female institution of higher education established after the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and became a women's college in 1946. It became a coeducational school in 1954 and lost its accreditation in 2004. - 1868: Wells CollegeWells CollegeWells College is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. Initially an all-women's institution, Wells became a co-ed college in Fall 2005....
: Located in Aurora, N.Y. Went coed in 2005. - 1869: Chatham University: Located in Pittsburgh, PA. Established as Pennsylvania Female College, renamed Pennsylvania College for Women in 1890 and to Chatham College in 1955. Chatham gained University status in 2007.
- 1881: Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary (now Spelman CollegeSpelman CollegeSpelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female...
): It was the first historically black female institution of higher education to receive its collegiate charter in 1924, making it the oldest historically black women's college. - 1884: Industrial Institute & College, (now Mississippi University for WomenMississippi University for WomenMississippi University for Women, also known as MUW or simply the "W" is a four-year coeducational public university located in Columbus, Mississippi. It was formerly known as Industrial Institute and College and later Mississippi State College for Women...
): It was the first public women's college; became coeducational in 1982 as a result of the Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
's Mississippi University for Women v. HoganMississippi University for Women v. HoganMississippi University for Women v. Hogan, 458 U.S. 718 was a case decided 5-4 by the Supreme Court of the United States. The court held that the single-sex admissions policy of the Mississippi University for Women violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United...
case, but maintained its original name. - 1895: College of Notre Dame of Maryland: First Catholic women's college in the United States to offer the four year baccalaureate degree.
Colonial–era schools
- 1742: Bethlehem Female Seminary: Founded in GermantownGermantown- Places :in the United States* Germantown, California, former name of Artois, California* Germantown, Connecticut* Germantown, Illinois* Germantown, Decatur County, Indiana...
and later moved to Bethlehem, PennsylvaniaBethlehem, PennsylvaniaBethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
. It received its collegiate charter in 1863 and in 1913, it became the Moravian Seminary and College for Women. In 1954, it merged with the male institution Moravian College and Theological Seminary and became the coeducational school, Moravian CollegeMoravian CollegeMoravian College a private liberal arts college, and the associated Moravian Theological Seminary are located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region.-History:... - 1772: Little Girls' School (now Salem CollegeSalem CollegeSalem College is a liberal arts women's college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina founded in 1772. Originally established as a primary school, it later became an academy and finally a college. It is the oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college...
): Originally established as a primary school, it later became an academy (high school) and finally a college. It is the oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college, and the oldest female institution in the Southern United StatesSouthern United StatesThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
.
1780s–1820s
- 1787: Young Ladies' Academy of Philadelphia http://www.jmisc.net/bib-notes/JER-1997-2.htm
- 1792: Litchfield Female AcademyLitchfield Female AcademyThe Litchfield Female Academy, founded in 1792 by Sarah Pierce, was one of the most important institutions of female education in the United States. During the 30 years after its opening the school enrolled more than 2,000 students from 17 states and territories of the new republic, as well as...
: Founded in Litchfield, ConnecticutLitchfield, ConnecticutLitchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
; it closed in 1833. - 1814: Louisburg Female Academy (now Louisburg CollegeLouisburg CollegeLouisburg College is a private two-year college located in Louisburg, North Carolina. The Methodist-affiliated college claims that 90 percent of its graduates move on to four-year institutions...
): Founded in North Carolina; Louisburg Female College, founded in 1857. Later merged with Franklin Male Academy - 1814: Troy Female Seminary: It became the Emma Willard SchoolEmma Willard SchoolThe Emma Willard School, originally called Troy Female Seminary and often referred to simply as "Emma," is an independent university-preparatory day and boarding school for young women, located in Troy, New York on Mount Ida, offering grades 9-12 and postgraduate coursework...
in 1895 - 1818: Elizabeth Female AcademyElizabeth Female AcademyThe Elizabeth Female Academy, founded in 1818 in Washington, Mississippi, was the first female educational institution in Mississippi. It was named after Mrs. Elizabeth Roach , who donated the land on which the school was located....
: First female educational institution in MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
; it closed in 1843 - 1821: Clinton Female Seminary: Georgia. Forerunner to Wesleyan CollegeWesleyan CollegeWesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college located in Macon, Georgia, United States.-History:The school was chartered on December 23, 1836 as the Georgia Female College, and opened its doors to students on January 7, 1839. The school was renamed Wesleyan Female College in 1843...
http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/gahistmarkers/clintonfemalehistmarker.htm - 1822: Gummere Academy: Burlington, NJ. Founded by Quaker Sammuel Gummere who then sold the school to George Washington DoaneGeorge Washington DoaneGeorge Washington Doane was a United States churchman, educator, and bishop in the Episcopal Church for the Diocese of New Jersey.-Biography:Doane was born in Trenton, New Jersey...
who then founded St. Mary's Hall. - 1822: Athens Female Academy, now Athens State University. Athens, Alabama
- 1823: Hartford Female SeminaryHartford Female SeminaryHartford Female Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut was established in 1823 by Catharine Beecher, making it one of the first major educational institutions for women in the United States. By 1826 it had enrolled nearly 100 students and implemented radical programs such as physical education courses...
: It closed towards the later half of the 19th century - 1827: The Linden Wood School for Girls (now Lindenwood UniversityLindenwood UniversityLindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States...
): Founded in St. Charles, Missouri; it became coeducational in 1969. - 1828: Ipswich Female SeminaryIpswich Female SeminaryIpswich Female Seminary in Ipswich, Massachusetts was founded in 1828 by Zilpah P. Grant Banister, making it one of the first major educational institutions for women in the United States. According to the United States Department of Education:...
: It closed in 1878
1830s
- 1831: LaGrange Female Academy (now LaGrange CollegeLaGrange CollegeLaGrange College is the oldest private college in the U.S. state of Georgia. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, it is located in LaGrange, Georgia, with an enrollment of about 1,000 students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1...
): Founded in LaGrange, GeorgiaLaGrange, GeorgiaLaGrange is a city in Troup County, Georgia, United States. It is named after the country estate near Paris of the Marquis de La Fayette, who visited the area in 1825. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census...
, it became LaGrange Female College in 1851, and coeducational in 1953 - 1833: Columbia Female Academy (now Stephens CollegeStephens CollegeStephens College is a women's college located in Columbia, Missouri. It is the second oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college in the United States. It was founded on August 24, 1833 as the Columbia Female Academy. In 1856, David H. Hickman turned it into a college,...
): Originally established as an academy (high school), it later became a college. It is the second oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college - 1834: Wheaton Female Seminary (now Wheaton College, Massachusetts): Founded with the help of Mary LyonMary LyonMary Mason Lyon , surname pronounced , was a pioneer in women's education. She established the Wheaton Female Seminary in Norton, Massachusetts, . Within two years, she raised $15,000 to build the Mount Holyoke School...
; Wheaton became a college in 1912 and coeducational in 1987 - 1835: Livingston Female Academy and State Normal College (now University of West AlabamaUniversity of West AlabamaThe University of West Alabama is a public university located in Livingston, Alabama, United States. It is currently on probation with its regional accrediting body....
); It became coeducational in the 1950s - 1836: Washington Female SeminaryWashington Female SeminaryThe Washington Female Seminary was a Presbyterian seminary for women operating from 1836 to 1948 in Washington, Pennsylvania.The movement to create an institution to teach women began in 1835 and the Seminary opened 1 year later in 1836. The two founders were abolitionist F...
: closed in 1948 - 1836: Wesleyan CollegeWesleyan CollegeWesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college located in Macon, Georgia, United States.-History:The school was chartered on December 23, 1836 as the Georgia Female College, and opened its doors to students on January 7, 1839. The school was renamed Wesleyan Female College in 1843...
: Chartered as the Georgia Female College on December 23, 1836, Wesleyan is the world's oldest women's college. Still a women's college - 1837: St. Mary's Hall (now Doane Academy): Originally established as a female seminary by George Washington DoaneGeorge Washington DoaneGeorge Washington Doane was a United States churchman, educator, and bishop in the Episcopal Church for the Diocese of New Jersey.-Biography:Doane was born in Trenton, New Jersey...
2nd Bishop of the Episcopal Church of New Jersey. First academic school founded on church principles in the United States. - 1837: Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (now Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
): It is the oldest (and first) of the Seven SistersSeven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and... - 1838: Judson Female Institute (Judson College (Alabama)Judson College (Alabama)Judson College, originally named Judson Female Institute, was founded by members of the Siloam Baptist Church in 1838 in Marion, Alabama. It is the fifth oldest women's college in the United States. It was named after Ann Hasseltine Judson, the first female foreign missionary from the United States...
): Founded in Marion, AlabamaMarion, AlabamaMarion is the county seat of Perry County, Alabama. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 3,511. First called Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed after a hero of the American Revolution, Francis Marion.-Geography:...
, it became Judson College in 1903 and later Judson College - 1839: Farmville Female Seminary Association (now Longwood UniversityLongwood UniversityLongwood University is a four-year public, liberal-arts university located in Farmville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 and became a university on July 1, 2002...
): Founded in Farmville, VirginiaFarmville, VirginiaFarmville is a town in Prince Edward and Cumberland counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 6,845 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County....
; it became coeducational in 1976.
1840s
- 1841: Saint Mary-of-the-Woods CollegeSaint Mary-of-the-Woods CollegeSaint Mary-of-the-Woods College is a Roman Catholic, four-year liberal arts women's college located northwest of Terre Haute, Indiana, between the Wabash River and the Illinois state line. There is also a small village of the same name located nearby...
: The college was founded as an academy for young women in 1841 by a French nun, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is the nation's oldest Catholic liberal arts college for women. In 1846, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College was granted the first charter for the higher education of women in the state of Indiana. SMWC conferred its first bachelor of arts degree in 1899. - 1841: Academy of the Sacred Heart (now Manhattanville CollegeManhattanville CollegeManhattanville College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, located in Purchase, New York. Founded in 1841 it was known initially as Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart...
) - 1842: Fulton Female Academy (now Synodical CollegeSynodical CollegeSynodical College provided education for young women and was a successor institution to the Fulton Female Academy opened by Rev. William W. Robertson in Fulton, Missouri in 1842 as one of the earliest American women's colleges....
): Founded in Fulton, MissouriFulton, MissouriFulton is a city in Callaway County, Missouri, the United States of America. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,790 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Callaway County...
, it closed in 1928 - 1842:Valley Union Seminary (now Hollins UniversityHollins UniversityHollins University is a four-year institution of higher education, a private university located on a campus on the border of Roanoke County, Virginia and Botetourt County, Virginia...
): Established in Roanoke, VirginiaRoanoke, VirginiaRoanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
as a coeducational school, it became a school for women in 1852, and was renamed Hollins Institute in 1855, Hollins College in 1911, and Hollins University in 1998 - 1842: Augusta Female Seminary (now Mary Baldwin CollegeMary Baldwin CollegeMary Baldwin College is a private, independent, and comprehensive four-year liberal arts women's college in Staunton, Virginia. It was ranked in 2008 by US News & World Report as a top-tier, master's level university in the South. Mary Baldwin offers pre-professional programs in law, medicine,...
): Founded in Staunton, VirginiaStaunton, VirginiaStaunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
, it became the Mary Baldwin Seminary in 1895, and the Mary Baldwin College in 1923 - 1844: Saint Mary's College (Indiana)Saint Mary's College (Indiana)Saint Mary's College is a private Catholic liberal arts college founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. It is located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community northeast of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States — as are the University of Notre Dame and Holy...
: Founded by the Sisters of the Holy Cross - 1845: Limestone Springs Female High School: (now Limestone CollegeLimestone CollegeLimestone College is a private four-year, coeducational liberal-arts college located in Gaffney, South Carolina. Limestone College is a Christian non-denominational college. Its programs lead to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work, Associate of Arts or Associate of...
) Founded in Gaffney, South Carolina, it began accepting a few male students in the 1920s (who did not live on campus) and became fully coeducational in the late 1960s - 1846: Greensboro Female College: Charted in 1838 in Greensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
; it is now the coeducational school Greensboro CollegeGreensboro CollegeGreensboro College is a four-year, independent, coeducational liberal-arts college, also offering four master's degrees, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1838... - 1846: Illinois Conference Female Academy: It is now the coeducational school, MacMurray CollegeMacMurray CollegeMacMurray College is a career-directed liberal arts college located in Jacksonville, Illinois. Its enrollment in fall 2011 was 548. It is from Springfield and from Chicago....
- 1847: Kentucky Female Orphan School (now Midway CollegeMidway CollegeMidway College is an independent, liberal arts college with approximately 1,800 students located in Midway, Kentucky. Related by covenant to the Christian Church , it currently offers two and four-year degrees. Midway is the only women's college in Kentucky...
): The school's day program on its main campus remains all-female to this day. However, it offers coeducational programs on evenings and weekends at several satellite locations around Kentucky, as well as online. It opened a coeducational pharmacy schoolMidway College School of PharmacyMidway College School of Pharmacy is a private pharmacy school planned to open in Paintsville, Kentucky, United States. Announced to the public on January 11, 2010, the school plans to open on Big Sandy Community and Technical College's Mayo Campus in the fall of 2011...
at a separate campus in 2011. - 1847: Academy of Mount Saint Vincent: (now College of Mount Saint VincentCollege of Mount Saint VincentFor the university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, see Mount Saint Vincent University The College of Mount Saint Vincent is a Catholic liberal arts college located in the northeast corner of the Riverdale section of The Bronx, New York, adjacent to the Yonkers border. It is the northernmost location in...
). Founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York; moved from Manhattan to current Riverdale, Bronx site in the 1850s and began service as degree-granting, four-year liberal arts college in 1911. Became coeducational in 1974. - 1848: Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art and DesignMoore College of Art and DesignMoore College of Art & Design educates students for careers in the visual arts. Moore is an independent college of art and design. Located in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Moore is the first and only women's visual arts college in the nation, and one of only two in the world...
): It is the first and only art school which is a women's college - 1848: Chowan Baptist Female Institute; it is now the coeducational school Chowan UniversityChowan University- Other Notable Former Students :* Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, confessed architect of the September 11 attacks.- External links :* *...
- 1848: Drexel University College of MedicineDrexel University College of MedicineDrexel University College of Medicine is the medical school of Drexel University. The medical school has the nation's largest enrollment for a private medical school, and represents the consolidation of two medical schools: the nation's first medical school for women and the first U.S. college of...
: It is now, after several changes including becoming co-ed, Drexel UniversityDrexel UniversityDrexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
's College of Medicine
- 1849: The Oread InstituteOread InstituteThe Oread Institute was a women's college founded in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1849 by Eli Thayer. Before its closing in 1934, it was one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women in the United States...
: It closed in 1881. - 1849: Forsyth Female Collegiate Institute: It became Tift CollegeTift CollegeTift College was a private liberal arts women's college located in Forsyth, Georgia. Its campus was situated 20 miles outside of Macon. Tift College merged with Mercer University in 1986 and was closed by Mercer in 1987....
, which is now a part of Mercer UniversityMercer UniversityMercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
.
1850s
- 1851: Christian College (later Columbia CollegeColumbia College of MissouriColumbia College is a private co-educational liberal arts university based in Columbia, Missouri. The school offers day and evening classes on its Columbia Campus, extension courses through its nationwide campuses and ties with U.S. military bases , and online courses...
): It was the first women's college west of the Mississippi River to be chartered by a state legislature. - 1851: Cherokee Female SeminaryCherokee Female SeminaryThe Cherokee Female Seminary, , serves as the centerpiece of Northeastern State University, located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States. The building was constructed to replace the original Cherokee Female Seminary that burnt to the ground Easter Sunday 1887...
: It is the first institute of higher learning exclusively for women the United States west of the Mississippi River. Along with the Cherokee Male Seminary, this was the first college created by a tribe instead of the US federal government. - 1851: Tennessee and Alabama Female Institute (later Mary Sharp CollegeMary Sharp CollegeMary Sharp College , first known as the Tennessee and Alabama Female Institute, was a women's college, located in Winchester, Tennessee. It was named after the abolitionist Mary Sharp....
): It was the first women's college to grant college degrees to women that were the equivalent of those given to men; the college closed due to financial hardship in 1896 - 1852: Young Ladies Seminary (now Mills CollegeMills CollegeMills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
): It is the first women's college in United States west of the Rocky MountainsRocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States... - 1853: Beaver College: It became the coeducational school Arcadia UniversityArcadia UniversityArcadia University is a private university located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. A master's university by Carnegie Classification, the university has a co-educational student population of more than 4,000. The university was ranked 25th in the master's universities in...
- 1853: Ohio Wesleyan Female CollegeOhio Wesleyan Female CollegeOhio Wesleyan Female College was founded in 1853 in Delaware, Ohio. It is also known under the name Wesleyan Female College in Cincinnati...
: It merged with Ohio Wesleyan UniversityOhio Wesleyan UniversityOhio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
in 1877 - 1854: Columbia College (Columbia, South Carolina)Columbia College (Columbia, South Carolina)Columbia College is a private liberal arts women's college in Columbia, South Carolina. The school is affiliated with United Methodist Church and has more than 1,500 students...
- 1854: Andrew Female College (now Andrew CollegeAndrew CollegeAndrew College is a private, liberal arts junior college located a few blocks off the town square in Cuthbert, Randolph County, Georgia, United States...
): Became coeducational in 1956 - 1855: Elmira Female College (now Elmira CollegeElmira CollegeElmira College is a coeducational private liberal arts college located in Elmira, in New York State's Southern Tier region.The college is noted as the oldest college still in existence which granted degrees to women that were the equivalent of those given to men...
): It is the oldest college still in existence which (as a women's college) granted degrees to women that were the equivalent of those given to men; the college became coeducational in 1969. - 1855: Western Female Seminary: Became Western College for WomenWestern College for WomenWestern College for Women was a women's college in Oxford, Ohio between 1855 and 1974.-History:Western College was founded in 1853 as Western Female Seminary. It was a daughter school of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Its first principal Helen Peabody and most of the early...
and later merged with Miami UniversityMiami UniversityMiami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
in 1974. - 1855: Davenport Female College (later Davenport College): Founded in Lenoir, North CarolinaLenoir, North CarolinaLenoir is a city in Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 18,228 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell County. Lenoir is located in the Blue Ridge foothills. The city also contains the Brushy Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains...
. Chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1859. Merged with Greensboro CollegeGreensboro CollegeGreensboro College is a four-year, independent, coeducational liberal-arts college, also offering four master's degrees, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1838...
in 1938. http://www.caldwellheritagemuseum.org/davcollhist/davcoll.html - 1857: Peace Institute (now Peace CollegePeace CollegeWilliam Peace University is a small liberal arts college located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian church.-History:...
): Founded in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
Now has plans to become William Peace University and coeducational.
y*1857: Charlotte Female Institute: founded in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
; became the coeducational Queens University of Charlotte
Queens University of Charlotte
Queens University of Charlotte is a private, co-educational, comprehensive university located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has approximately 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students through the College of Arts and Sciences, the McColl School of Business, the Wayland H. Cato, Jr. School...
in 1987 after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
1860s
- 1861: Vassar CollegeVassar CollegeVassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
: It is the first of the Seven SistersSeven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...
which was established from inception as a college for women; it became coeducational in 1969. - 1864: Visitation Academy: It later became Ottumwa Heights CollegeOttumwa Heights CollegeOttumwa Heights College was a liberal arts women's college based in Ottumwa, Iowa. The school was affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and was operated by the Sisters of Humility of Mary....
and closed in 1980 - 1866: Baylor Female College (originally the Female Department of Baylor University, founded in 1845): Became the coeducational school University of Mary Hardin-BaylorUniversity of Mary Hardin-BaylorThe University of Mary Hardin–Baylor, generally referred to as UMHB, is a Christian co-educational liberal arts institution of higher learning located in Belton, Texas, United States. Founded by the Republic of Texas in 1845 as "Baylor Female College," it has grown to approximately 2,700 students...
in 1971. - 1867: Cedar Crest CollegeCedar Crest CollegeCedar Crest College is a private liberal arts women's college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. During the 2006-2007 academic year, the college had 1,000 full-time and 800 part-time undergraduates and 85 graduate students...
- 1867: Scotia Seminary (now Barber-Scotia CollegeBarber-Scotia CollegeBarber–Scotia College is a historically black college located in Concord, North Carolina, United States.-Scotia Seminary:Barber-Scotia began as a female seminary in 1867. Scotia Seminary was founded by the Reverend Luke Dorland and chartered in 1870...
): It was the first historically black female institution of higher education established after the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and became a women's college in 1946. It became a coeducational school in 1954 and lost its accreditation in 2004. (historically black collegeHistorically Black Colleges and UniversitiesHistorically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
) - 1868: Wells CollegeWells CollegeWells College is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. Initially an all-women's institution, Wells became a co-ed college in Fall 2005....
: It became coeducational in 2005 - 1869: Pennsylvania Female College: It became Chatham CollegeChatham CollegeChatham University is an American university with a women's undergraduate college and coeducational graduate programs through the doctoral level, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Shadyside neighborhood. The campus population of approximately 2,300 includes undergraduate women and graduate...
in 1955 and Chatham University in 2007. Although the University is coeducational, the undergraduate college, Chatham College for Women, remains women-only. The undergraduate college at its founding granted degrees to women that were the equivalent of those given to men. - 1869: Wilson CollegeWilson College (Pennsylvania)Wilson College, founded 1869, is a private, Presbyterian-related, liberal arts women's college located on a campus in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by two Presbyterian ministers, but named for its first major donor, Sarah Wilson of nearby St. Thomas Township,...
- 1869: Hamilton College (Kentucky)Hamilton College (Kentucky)Hamilton College was a private women's college in Lexington, Kentucky, that closed in 1932.Hamilton was founded by banker James M. Hocker in 1869 as the Hocker Female College. In 1878, a donation by William Hamilton changed the name of the school to Hamilton College...
: It closed in 1932
1870s
- 1870: Hunter CollegeHunter CollegeHunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
: became coeducational in the 1950s - 1871: Ursuline CollegeUrsuline CollegeFor the English Catholic Sports College, based in Westgate, see Ursuline College .Ursuline College is a small, Roman Catholic liberal arts women's college in Pepper Pike, Ohio. It was founded in 1871 by the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland and is one of the oldest institutions of higher education for...
- 1872: St. Mary's Institute: Became Mount Mary CollegeMount Mary CollegeMount Mary College is a Catholic women's college based on the liberal arts, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of science in nursing in partnership with Columbia College of Nursing degrees in over 60 undergraduate majors, and master of arts,...
in 1929 - 1873: Bennett CollegeBennett CollegeBennett College is a four-year liberal arts women's college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Founded in 1873, this historically black institution began as a normal school to provide education to newly emancipated slaves. It became a women's college in 1926 and currently serves roughly 780...
: Founded in Greensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
as a coeducational school, it became a women's college in 1926 - 1873: College of Notre Dame of MarylandCollege of Notre Dame of MarylandNotre Dame of Maryland University is an independent, Catholic-affiliated, liberal arts college located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, that primarily serves female students.-History:...
- 1873: Blue Mountain Female Institute: Now Blue Mountain CollegeBlue Mountain CollegeBlue Mountain College is a private liberal arts college, supported by the Mississippi Baptist Convention, located in the northeastern Mississippi town of Blue Mountain not far from Tupelo, Miss. In 2005, the College's Board of Trustees voted unanimously for the college to go fully...
- 1873: Cherokee Baptist Female College: Became the coeducational school Shorter CollegeShorter CollegeShorter University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Rome, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1873, it is a Christian university historically affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention....
during the 1950s - 1875: Wellesley College: Originally charted in 1870 (Seven SistersSeven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...
) - 1875: Smith CollegeSmith CollegeSmith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
: Originally chartered in 1871 (Seven SistersSeven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...
) - 1875: Mount Hermon Female SeminaryMount Hermon Female SeminaryMount Hermon Female Seminary in Clinton, Mississippi was a historically black institution of higher education for women.Founded in 1875 by Sarah Ann Dickey, the school was patterned after Dickey's alma mater, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary .The seminary was eventually closed in 1924 by the American...
: Founded in Clinton, MississippiClinton, MississippiClinton is a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. Situated in the Jackson metropolitan area, it is the tenth largest city in Mississippi. The population was 23,347 at the 2000 United States Census.-History:...
, it closed in 1924 (historically black collegeHistorically Black Colleges and UniversitiesHistorically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
) - 1875: Mount Vernon College for WomenMount Vernon College for WomenMount Vernon College for Women was a private women's college in Washington, D.C. It merged with George Washington University in 1999 and is now known as the Mount Vernon Campus of The George Washington University....
: Merged with George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 1999 - 1878:Georgia Baptist Female Seminary (now Brenau UniversityBrenau UniversityBrenau University is a private university in Gainesville, Georgia, USA, that was founded in 1878 as Georgia Baptist Female Seminary, though it has never been affiliated with the Baptist Church. The total enrollment of Brenau University tops 2,500 students in its four schools...
): Founded in Gainesville, GeorgiaGainesville, Georgia-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
, it became Brenau College in 1900, and Brenau University in 1992 - 1879: Harvard Annex: It was chartered as Radcliffe CollegeRadcliffe CollegeRadcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
by the Commonwealth of MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1894;Radcliffe closed in 1999 when its merger with Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
was complete (Seven SistersSeven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...
)
1880s
- 1881: Tillotson College: Founded as a coeducational, it was a women's college from 1926–1935. It is now the coeducational school, Huston-Tillotson UniversityHuston-Tillotson UniversityHuston–Tillotson University is a historically black university in Austin, Texas, United States. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and the United Negro College Fund....
(historically black collegeHistorically Black Colleges and UniversitiesHistorically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
) - 1881: Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary (now Spelman CollegeSpelman CollegeSpelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female...
): It was the first historically black female institution of higher education to receive its collegiate charter in 1924, making it the oldest historically black women's collegeHistorically Black Colleges and UniversitiesHistorically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community.... - 1883: Seton Hill UniversitySeton Hill UniversitySeton Hill University is a small Catholic liberal arts university of about 2100 students in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Formerly a women's college, it became a coeducational university in 2002....
: It became coeducational in 2002 - 1883: Hartshorn Memorial College founded in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. In 1932, it merged with Virginia Union UniversityVirginia Union UniversityVirginia Union University is a historically black university located in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It took its present name in 1899 upon the merger of two older schools, Richmond Theological Institute and Wayland Seminary, each founded after the end of American Civil War by the American...
. - 1884: Industrial Institute & College, (now Mississippi University for WomenMississippi University for WomenMississippi University for Women, also known as MUW or simply the "W" is a four-year coeducational public university located in Columbus, Mississippi. It was formerly known as Industrial Institute and College and later Mississippi State College for Women...
): It was the first public women's college; became coeducational in 1982 as a result of the Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
's Mississippi University for Women v. HoganMississippi University for Women v. HoganMississippi University for Women v. Hogan, 458 U.S. 718 was a case decided 5-4 by the Supreme Court of the United States. The court held that the single-sex admissions policy of the Mississippi University for Women violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United...
case, but maintained its original name - 1884: Cottey CollegeCottey CollegeCottey College, located in Nevada, Missouri is a private, two-year women's college that also offers select baccalaureate degree programs. It was founded by Virginia Alice Cottey Stockard in 1884, and is currently owned and supported by the P.E.O...
is founded as "Vernon Seminary," a day and boarding school for girls. - 1885: Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
(Seven SistersSeven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...
) - 1885: The Woman's College of Baltimore: Became Goucher CollegeGoucher CollegeGoucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
in 1910 and coeducational during the 1980s - 1886: H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial CollegeH. Sophie Newcomb Memorial CollegeH. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, or Newcomb College, was the coordinate women's college of Tulane University located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was founded by Josephine Louise Newcomb in 1886 in memory of her daughter....
: at Tulane University. It was the first coordinate women's college within a U.S. university. Closed in 2006, but descendants of the founder are suing under the terms of Mrs. Newcomb's will to reopen the college and restore the endowments. - 1886: Mary Allen Seminary : Founded in Crockett, Houston County, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It became coeducational in 1933. - 1887: Evelyn College for WomenEvelyn College for WomenEvelyn College for Women, often shortened to Evelyn College, was the coordinate women's college of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey between 1887 and 1897. It was the first women's college in the State of New Jersey.-Background:...
: It was the coordinate women's collegeWomen's colleges in the United StatesWomen's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
of Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in PrincetonPrinceton, New JerseyPrinceton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
; it closed in 1897 - 1887: Alverno CollegeAlverno CollegeAlverno College is a Roman Catholic, four-year, independent, liberal arts college, historically and still primarily a women's college located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin....
- 1888: Women's College of Western Reserve University (renamed Flora Stone Mather College in 1931) ultimately merged with several other colleges to form the Case Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
Federation in 1967. - 1889: Converse CollegeConverse CollegeConverse College is a liberal arts women's college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. It was established by a group of Spartanburg citizens and named after Dexter Edgar Converse.-History:...
- 1889: Decatur Female Seminary (now Agnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....
): Founded in Decatur, GeorgiaDecatur, GeorgiaDecatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
, it became the Agnes Scott Institute in 1890, and Agnes Scott College in 1906 - 1889: Barnard CollegeBarnard CollegeBarnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
(Seven SistersSeven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...
) - 1889: Georgia Normal and Industrial College (now Georgia College & State UniversityGeorgia College & State UniversityGeorgia College & State University is a public liberal arts university in Milledgeville, Georgia, United States, with approximately 7,000 students...
): The coordinate college for Georgia TechGeorgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
, it awarded its first degrees in 1917 and became coeducational in 1967.
1890s
- 1890: Mount Saint Agnes CollegeMount Saint Agnes CollegeMount Saint Agnes College was a Catholic women's college located in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. It opened in 1890 and was operated by the Sisters of Mercy....
: It closed in 1972 - 1891: Pembroke CollegePembroke College (Brown University)Pembroke College in Brown University was the coordinate women's college for Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1891 and closed in 1971.-Founding and early history:...
: Was the coordinate women's collegeWomen's colleges in the United StatesWomen's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
for Brown UniversityBrown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in ProvidenceProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
; It merged with Brown in 1971 - 1891: Randolph-Macon Woman's College: It become coeducational and changed its name to Randolph CollegeRandolph CollegeRandolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational....
in 2007 - 1891: North Carolina Women's College: It became the coeducational school University of North Carolina at GreensboroUniversity of North Carolina at GreensboroThe University of North Carolina at Greensboro , also known as UNC Greensboro, is a public university in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States and is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate, 61 master's and 26...
in 1963 - 1891:Baptist Female University, (now Meredith CollegeMeredith CollegeMeredith College is a liberal arts women's college located in Raleigh, North Carolina. For the 2010-2011 academic year, there were approximately 2,300 students enrolled, including about 350 graduate students, making Meredith the largest women's college in the southeastern United States...
): Founded in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, it became the Baptist University for Women, in 1891, and Meredith College in 1909 - Hood CollegeHood CollegeHood College is a co-educational liberal arts college located in Frederick, Maryland. The college serves approximately 1,050 graduate students and more than 1,400 undergraduate students.-Early History :...
: Became coeducational in 2002 - 1896: Barber Memorial College: Founded in Anniston, AlabamaAnniston, AlabamaAnniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
, it merged with Scotia Women's College (formerly Scotia Seminary) in Concord, North CarolinaConcord, North CarolinaConcord is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. According to Census 2010, the city has a current population of 79,066. It is the largest city in Cabarrus County and is the county seat. In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area...
in 1930 to become Barber-Scotia Junior CollegeBarber-Scotia CollegeBarber–Scotia College is a historically black college located in Concord, North Carolina, United States.-Scotia Seminary:Barber-Scotia began as a female seminary in 1867. Scotia Seminary was founded by the Reverend Luke Dorland and chartered in 1870...
(historically black collegeHistorically Black Colleges and UniversitiesHistorically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
) - 1897: Trinity College: Trinity Washington UniversityTrinity Washington UniversityTrinity Washington University, founded in 1897 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, is a Roman Catholic university located in Washington, D.C. across from Catholic University of America and the Dominican House of Studies...
since 2004 - 1897: Bay Path CollegeBay Path CollegeBay Path College is a private undergraduate women's college located in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. The College offers online and on campus Graduate Programs for both men and women, and One-Day-A-Week Saturday College for adult women....
- 1899: Simmons College (Massachusetts)Simmons College (Massachusetts)Simmons College, established in 1899, is a private women's undergraduate college and private co-educational graduate school in Boston, Massachusetts.-History:Simmons was founded in 1899 with a bequest by John Simmons a wealthy clothing manufacturer in Boston...
- 1899: College of Saint ElizabethCollege of Saint ElizabethThe College of Saint Elizabeth is a private Roman Catholic, four-year, liberal arts college for women. It is located in an unincorporated community called Convent Station, in Morris Township, New Jersey...
1900s
- 1901: Sweet Briar CollegeSweet Briar CollegeSweet Briar College is a liberal arts women's college in Sweet Briar, Virginia, about north of Lynchburg, Virginia. The school's Latin motto translates as: "She who has earned the rose may bear it."...
- 1901: Girls Industrial College founded. Known as Texas Woman's UniversityTexas Woman's UniversityTexas Woman's University is a co-educational university in Denton, Texas, United States with two health science center branches in Dallas, Texas and Houston, Texas...
since 1957. Technically co-ed since 1994, but still has a primarily female student body. - 1901: St. Clara's College: Became coeducational in 1970 and Dominican University (Illinois)Dominican University (Illinois)Dominican University is a coeducational, comprehensive, Catholic institution of higher education and research in River Forest, Illinois. Affiliated with the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, it offers bachelor's and master's degrees and certificate programs...
in 1997 - 1903: Margaret Morrison Carnegie CollegeMargaret Morrison Carnegie CollegeMargaret Morrison Carnegie College , was the women's college for Carnegie Mellon University. It was founded in 1903 and opened its doors to students in 1906 as the Margaret Morrison Carnegie School for Women. The school was closed in 1973....
: It was the coordinate women's collegeWomen's colleges in the United StatesWomen's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
of Carnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
between 1903 and 1973 - 1903: Young Woman's Industrial Club: It became Skidmore CollegeSkidmore CollegeSkidmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The college is located in the town of Saratoga Springs, New York State....
in 1922 and coeducational in 1971 - 1904: The College of New RochelleThe College of New RochelleThe College of New Rochelle is a private Catholic college with its main campus located in New Rochelle, New York. The College of St. Angela was founded by the Order of the Ursulines as the first Catholic women's college in New York state in 1904, a time when women were generally excluded from...
- 1905: Florida State College for WomenFlorida State UniversityThe Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
: Founded as the coeducational West Florida Seminary in 1851. After multiple name changes, it was converted into a women's college in 1905, with "for Women" attached to its then-current name of Florida State College. The school returned to coeducation in 1947 and changed its name yet again to the current Florida State University. - 1905: College of St. CatherineCollege of St. CatherineSt. Catherine University is a private Catholic university for women located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. There is also a campus in Minneapolis. Enrollment is 5,246 students. With approximately 2,900 bachelor's students, it is the largest university for women in the United States. Its...
- 1907: College of Saint TeresaCollege of Saint TeresaThe College of Saint Teresa was a Catholic women's college in Winona, Minnesota. Previously a seminary, it became a college in 1907 and was operated by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota until its closing in 1989.-History:...
: It closed in 1989. - 1908: Georgian Court UniversityGeorgian Court UniversityGeorgian Court University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Lakewood in Central New Jersey. The university is operated by the Sisters of Mercy...
- 1908: William Smith College is founded: Eventually becomes a coordinate college known as Hobart and William Smith
- 1908: The State Normal and Industrial School for Women at HarrisonburgJames Madison UniversityJames Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
: Founded as a junior college, it began awarding bachelor's degrees in 1916, and changed its name three times in its first 30 years. In 1946, when it was known as Madison College, it admitted its first male day students, becoming de facto coeducational, although it would not officially be recognized as a coeducational institution until 1966. In 1976, it adopted its current name of James Madison University. - 1908: State Normal and Industrial School for Women at FredericksburgUniversity of Mary WashingtonThe University of Mary Washington is a public, coeducational liberal arts college located in the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA. Founded in 1908 by the Commonwealth of Virginia as a normal school, during much of the twentieth century it was part of the University of Virginia, until...
: Developed as a normal and manual arts school and renamed Mary Washington College; it became the coordinate women's college of the University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in 1944. In 1970, UVA, which had previously admitted women only in its education, nursing, and postgraduate schools, became fully coeducational, as did Mary Washington. The two schools were separated due to changes of mission and geographic distance in 1972. The school's current name, University of Mary Washington, was adopted in 2004. - 1909: Lesley CollegeLesley CollegeLesley College is the undergraduate section, and founding institution of, Lesley University.The college was founded in 1909 by Edith Lesley as The Lesley School, a women's college which focused on early childhood education as a part of the international kindergarten movement established by...
: It became coeducational in 2005
1910s
- 1911: Pine Manor CollegePine Manor CollegePine Manor College is a private, liberal arts women's college located in Chestnut Hill, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1911 and currently serves almost 500 students, 75% of whom live on the campus.-Most diverse:...
- 1911: Connecticut CollegeConnecticut CollegeConnecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
: It became coeducational in 1969 - 1913: College of Saint Benedict: Has been partnered with the all-male Saint John's University, about 3.5 miles (6 km) away, from its inception. The two schools share a common academic program with fully coeducational classes, and students have full access to the resources of both campuses. However, the institutions remain legally and administratively separate.
- 1914: Westhampton College: Founded as the coordinate college for Richmond College (1830) and a component of its growth into the University of Richmond (1920). Today, the academic operations of the two colleges are merged, but Westhampton College remains as the co-curricular program for undergraduate women and curricular women's studies.
- 1916: Russell Sage CollegeRussell Sage CollegeRussell Sage College is a women's college located in Troy, New York, approximately north of New York City in the Capital District. It is one of the three colleges that make up The Sage Colleges...
- 1918: New Jersey College for Women: Founded as the coordinate college for Rutgers UniversityRutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
and became Douglass College in 1955; it closed in 2007 and became a residential college for Rutgers University - 1919: Emmanuel College, BostonEmmanuel College, BostonEmmanuel College is a coeducational Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded as a women's college by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1919 , Emmanuel became coeducational in 2001....
: It became coeducational in 2001
1920s
- 1920: Immaculata UniversityImmaculata UniversityImmaculata University is a Catholic University on King Road in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.-History:Immaculata was founded as Villa Maria College, a women's college in 1920. It was the first Catholic college for women in the Philadelphia area...
: It became coeducational in 2005 - 1921: Rosemont CollegeRosemont CollegeRosemont College is a coeducational college located in Rosemont in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It was originally founded as a women's college. A Catholic college, it is operated by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus...
- 1923: College of Saint MaryCollege of Saint MaryCollege of Saint Mary is a Catholic women's college located in Omaha, Nebraska. , there were 820 undergraduates and 243 graduate students.The academic programs at Saint Mary are primarily career-focused, with majors offered in fields such as medical technology, business administration, and nursing....
- 1923: Marymount Junior College: Became Marymount College of Los Angeles in 1948 when it began offering bachelor's degrees. Merged with Loyola University of Los Angeles, then all-male at the undergraduate level, in 1973 to create Loyola Marymount UniversityLoyola Marymount UniversityLoyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
. - 1923: Mount St. Scholastica CollegeBenedictine CollegeBenedictine College is a co-educational university in Atchison, Kansas, founded in 1971 by the merger of St. Benedict's College for men and Mount St. Scholastica College for women. It is a Roman Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, and residential college located on bluffs overlooking the...
: Merged with the all-male St. Benedict's College in 1971 to form the co-educational Benedictine CollegeBenedictine CollegeBenedictine College is a co-educational university in Atchison, Kansas, founded in 1971 by the merger of St. Benedict's College for men and Mount St. Scholastica College for women. It is a Roman Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, and residential college located on bluffs overlooking the... - 1924: Chestnut Hill CollegeChestnut Hill CollegeChestnut Hill College is a coeducational Roman Catholic college in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1924 as a women's college by the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was originally called Mount Saint Joseph College and assumed its current name in 1938. In...
: It became coeducational in 2003 - 1925: Mount St. Mary's CollegeMount St. Mary's CollegeMount St. Mary's College is a private, independent, Catholic liberal arts college, primarily for women, in Los Angeles, California. The college was founded in 1925 by the Sisters of St...
- 1925: Albertus Magnus CollegeAlbertus Magnus CollegeAlbertus Magnus College is a small private liberal arts college in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. It is located about two miles from the central campus of Yale University in a residential area near the border with Hamden. The neighborhood is on Prospect Street just above Edgerton park and...
: It became coeducational in 1985 - 1926: Sarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
: It became coeducational in 1968 - 1926: Scripps CollegeScripps CollegeScripps College is a progressive liberal arts women's college in Claremont, California, United States. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges. Scripps ranks 3rd for the nation's best women's college, ahead of Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, and Bryn Mawr College at 23rd on the list for...
- 1927: Regis CollegeRegis CollegeRegis College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts and sciences college located in Weston, Massachusetts. Founded as a women’s college in 1927, Regis became co-educational in 2007.-History:...
: It become coeducational in 2007
1930s–1980s
- 1932: Bennington CollegeBennington CollegeBennington College is a liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont, USA. The college was founded in 1932 as a women's college and became co-educational in 1969.-History:-Early years:...
: It became coeducational in 1969 - 1932: Saint Joseph College (Connecticut)
- 1936: Marymount Manhattan CollegeMarymount Manhattan CollegeMarymount Manhattan College is an urban, coeducational, independent, private, liberal arts college located in Manhattan, New York City, New York with a focus in performing arts. The mission of the College is to educate a socially and economically diverse student body by fostering intellectual...
: It is currently coeducational - 1938: Ursuline College (Kentucky): Merged into the previously all-male Bellarmine College in 1968; the merged school is now Bellarmine UniversityBellarmine UniversityBellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...
. - 1941: Annhurst CollegeAnnhurst CollegeAnnhurst College was a private Catholic college in South Woodstock, Connecticut. The college's curriculum was career-focused.It was founded by Mother Louis du Sacré-Coeur, D.H.S., the Provincial of the American Province of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit in 1940 as an all women's college...
: It closed in 1980 - 1941: Mercy College of Detroit: Opened as a women's college, later became coeducational, and merged with the University of Detroit in 1990, creating the University of Detroit MercyUniversity of Detroit MercyUniversity of Detroit Mercy is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational university in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the president. With origins dating from 1877, it is the largest Roman Catholic university...
. - 1946: Mount Sacred Heart CollegeMount Sacred Heart CollegeMount Sacred Heart College was a small Catholic women's college in Hamden, Connecticut. It was founded in 1946 and closed in the summer of 1997 due to low enrollment....
: It closed in 1997 - 1947: Garland Junior CollegeGarland Junior CollegeGarland Junior College was a liberal arts women's college in Boston, Massachusetts. Mary Garland established the Garland Kindergarten Training School in 1872 on Chestnut Street in Boston's Beacon Hill. By 1903, the school had expanded its curriculum to include home economics, and was renamed the...
: It was absorbed into Simmons CollegeSimmons College (Massachusetts)Simmons College, established in 1899, is a private women's undergraduate college and private co-educational graduate school in Boston, Massachusetts.-History:Simmons was founded in 1899 with a bequest by John Simmons a wealthy clothing manufacturer in Boston...
in 1976. - 1954: Stern College for WomenStern College for WomenStern College for Women is the undergraduate women's college of arts and sciences at Yeshiva University. It is located at Yeshiva University's Israel Henry Beren Campus in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan....
- 1963: Pitzer CollegePitzer CollegePitzer College is a private residential liberal arts college located in Claremont, California, a college town approximately east of downtown Los Angeles. Pitzer College is one of the Claremont Colleges....
: It became coeducational in 1970 - 1968: Kirkland College: It merged with Hamilton College in 1979
- 1982: Women's College of the University of Denver
See also
- Seven Sisters (colleges)Seven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...
- List of current and historical women's universities and colleges in the United States
- Women's colleges in the United StatesWomen's colleges in the United StatesWomen's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
- Women's colleges in the Southern United StatesWomen's Colleges in the Southern United StatesWomen's colleges in the Southern United States refers to undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations consist exclusively or almost exclusively of women. Salem College is the oldest female educational institution in the South and...
- Women's College CoalitionWomen's College CoalitionThe Women's College Coalition was founded in 1972 and describes itself as an "association of women's colleges and universities – public and private, independent and church-related, two- and four-year – in the United States and Canada whose primary mission is the education and advancement of...
Further reading
- Creighton, Joanne V.Joanne V. CreightonJoanne Vanish Creighton, Ph.D. is an American academic who served as the 17th President of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts from 1996-2010. On August 10, 2011, the Haverford College Board of Managers named her interim President of Haverford College, replacing Stephen G....
A Tradition of Their Own: Or, If a Woman Can Now Be President of Harvard, Why Do We Still Need Women’s Colleges?. - Guy-Sheftall, Beverly. "Black Women and Higher Education: Spelman and Bennett Colleges Revisited." The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 51, No. 3, The Impact of Black Women in Education: An Historical Overview (Summer, 1982), pp. 278–287.
- Harwarth, Irene B. "A Closer Look at Women's Colleges." National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, 1999.
- ---, Mindi Maline and Elizabeth DeBra. "Women's Colleges in the United States: History, Issues, and Challenges: Executive Summary." U.S. Department of Education National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning.
- Indiana UniversityIndiana UniversityIndiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
Center for Postsecondary Research (IUCPR). "New study finds women’s colleges are better equipped to help their students." - Horowitz, Helen LefkowitzHelen Lefkowitz HorowitzHelen Lefkowitz Horowitz is the Sydenham Clark Parsons Professor of American Studies and History, emerita, at Smith College. She received her B.A. from Wellesley College and her Ph.D. from Harvard University...
. Alma Mater: Design and Experience in the Women's Colleges from Their Nineteenth-Century Beginnings to the 1930s, Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1993 (2nd edition). - Muhlenfeld, Elisabeth and Nancy Gray. "Women's colleges must be an option." The Roanoke TimesThe Roanoke TimesThe Roanoke Times is the primary newspaper in Southwestern Virginia and is based in Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It is published by Landmark Media Enterprises...
, September 14, 2006. - Rosenberg, Rosalind. "The Limits of Access: The History Of Coeducation in America." In Women and Higher Education: Essays from the Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
Sesquicentennial Symposia. Ed. John Mack Faragher and Florence Howe. New York: Norton, 1988.