What is a Women’s College? Best Women’s Colleges in the U.S.

Historically, women have been barred from higher education. It wasn’t until the 19th century that women began to pursue higher education, primarily through women’s colleges. Even then, it wasn’t common for women to attend college until the 1960s and 1970s.  

In this article, we will discuss women’s colleges’ history as well as provide a comprehensive women’s colleges list. We’ll cover the best women’s colleges in the U.S. and answer key questions, such as: How many women’s colleges are there in the U.S.? Are there any all-women’s colleges? And are women’s colleges still relevant today and why?

What is a women’s college?

Firstly, what is a women’s college? Historically, a women’s college was a college founded with the purpose of offering higher education opportunities to women. Coeducation colleges only began gaining popularity in the 1970s. Before that, if women wanted to pursue collegiate degrees, they attended women’s colleges. 

So what is a women’s college today? Some women’s colleges have remained relatively unchanged and only admit female students. Some women’s colleges, however, have decided to admit a small percentage of male students and/or nonbinary and transgender students in more recent years. The focus of the programs and curriculums, however, are created with female students as the priority and often emphasize women’s rights, gender equality, and leadership. Many of these colleges have shifted to referring to themselves as historically women’s colleges.

Women’s colleges’ history

At one point, not too long ago, women’s colleges filled a crucial role in higher education. Most colleges were slow to admit female students. In fact, Princeton and Yale didn’t begin admitting female students until 1969 and Columbia didn’t begin admitting female students until 1983. This is why women’s colleges’ history is so important and why women’s colleges played a vital role in equalizing education in the U.S.

In recent years, however, there has been some debate regarding the continued relevance of women’s colleges. There is an important legacy to consider concerning women’s colleges and gender discrimination unfortunately continues, but there are also very few colleges today that do not admit female students.  

How many women’s colleges are there?

During the 1960s, there were over 200 women’s colleges in the United States. Currently, there are fewer than 50 women’s colleges in the United States. Of these institutions, 40 are members of the Women’s College Coalition, an association of women’s colleges founded in 1972. 

Members of the Women’s College Coalition feature public and private, religiously affiliated and secular, two-year and four-year colleges. The focus of these colleges and this association is to provide greater educational opportunities to women. 

Women’s colleges are often known for making an effort to foster student confidence, prioritize leadership, and provide students with ample

networking opportunities. In other words, women’s colleges often recognize
that female students aren’t given the same advantages as male students. 

For instance, in traditional classrooms, female confidence and leadership may not be encouraged.
This is one of the many reasons why women’s colleges still play an important role in higher education.

Women’s colleges ranked

According to the 2022 College Consensus rankings, the top 25 women’s colleges in the United States are as follows:

1. Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA)
2. Bryn Mawr College (Bryn Mawr, PA)
3. Barnard College (New York City, NY)
4. Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA)
5. Smith College (Northampton, MA)
6. Spelman College (Atlanta, GA)
7. Cedar Crest College (Allentown, PA)
8. College of Saint Benedict (Saint Joseph, MN)
9. Saint Mary’s College (Notre Dame, IN)
10. Simmons University (Boston, MA)
11. Mount Saint Mary’s University (Los Angeles, CA)
12. Saint Catherine University (Saint Paul, MN)
13. Texas Woman’s University (Denton, TX)

14. Cottey College (Nevada, MO)
15. Meredith College (Raleigh, NC)
16. Alverno College (Milwaukee, WI)
17. Converse College (Spartanburg, SC) *became coed in 2020*
18. College of Saint Mary (Omaha, NE)
19. Stephens College (Columbia, MO)
20. Bay Path University (Longmeadow, MA)
21. Trinity Washington University (Washington D.C.)
22. Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA)
23. Mills College (Oakland, CA)
24. Salem College (Winston-Salem, NC)
25. Notre Dame of Maryland University (Baltimore, MD)

Source: https://www.collegeconsensus.com/rankings/best-womens-colleges/

Best women’s only colleges: Facts and figures

Women’s colleges are often very different from one another. Some are secular and some are religiously affiliated. Some are politically liberal and some are politically conservative. 

The most prestigious women’s colleges have acceptance rates below 20%, whereas other less selective women’s colleges have acceptance rates falling between 70% and 90%. 

Let’s take a look at some key statistics to help further distinguish each college. 

College	Location	Undergraduate population	Acceptance rate	Year founded	Cost of tuition
Wellesley College	Wellesley, MA	2,383 students	13%	1870	$61,584
Bryn Mawr College	Bryn Mawr, PA	1,437 students	39%	1885	$58,000
Barnard College	New York City, NY	2,744 students	8%	1889	$60,087
Mount Holyoke College	South Hadley, MA	1,915 students	52%	1837	$56,300
Smith College	Northampton, MA	2,566 students	30%	1871	$58,480
Spelman College	Atlanta, GA	2,207 students	53%	1881	$28,885
Cedar Crest College	Allentown, PA	1,088 students	70%	1867	$43,043
College of Saint Benedict	Saint Joseph, MN	1,668 students	84%	1857	$52,108
Saint Mary’s College	Notre Dame, IN	1,403 students	82%	1844	$53,372
Simmons University	Boston, MA	1,744 students	64%	1899	$42,920
Mount Saint Mary’s University	Los Angeles, CA	2,014 students	89%	1925	$45,388
Saint Catherine University	Saint Paul, MN	2,983 students	77%	1905	$46,976
Texas Woman’s University	Denton, TX	10,656 students	94%	1901	$13,842
Cottey College	Nevada, MO	1,850 students	61%	1884	$23,350
Meredith College	Raleigh, NC	1,700 students	60%	1891	$42,540
Alverno College	Milwaukee, WI	864 students	78%	1887	$31,258
Converse College	Spartanburg, SC	870 students	60%	1889	$21,060
College of Saint Mary	Omaha, NE	680 students	51%	1923	$21,800
Stephens College	Columbia, MO	373 students	56%	1833	$23,385
Bay Path University	Longmeadow, MA	1,092 students	78%	1897	$36,497
Trinity Washington University	Washington D.C.	1,846 students	97%	1897	$26,420
Agnes Scott College	Decatur, GA	1,014 students	68%	1889	$45,456
Mills College	Oakland, CA	817 students	75%	1852	$29,340
Salem College	Winston-Salem, NC	492 students	85%	1772	$30,266
Notre Dame of Maryland University	Baltimore, MD	755 students	66%	1895	$38,295

Where are women’s colleges located?

There are lots of women’s colleges in the U.S. In this section, we will review some of the most popular locations in the U.S. for women’s colleges and the best women’s colleges in those areas.

Women’s colleges in Texas

• Texas Woman’s University

Women’s colleges in Massachusetts

• Wellesley College 
• Mount Holyoke College 
• Smith College
• Simmons University
• Bay Path University 

Women’s colleges in Virginia

• Hollins University
• Mary Baldwin College
• Sweet Briar College

Women’s colleges in Pennsylvania

• Bryn Mawr College 
• Cedar Crest College 

Women’s colleges in California​

• Mills College
• Scripps College
• Mount Saint Mary’s University

Women’s colleges in New York​

• Barnard College 
• Russell Sage College

Key takeaways

There are fewer than 50 women’s colleges in the United States today. Although these schools all share some similarities, they each have unique goals and mission statements. This is why it is important to research each school thoroughly before applying. 

Some women’s colleges are politically and socially liberal, whereas some women’s colleges are politically and socially conservative. Almost all women’s colleges are small liberal arts colleges, but some of them have student populations over 2,000, whereas others have student populations well under 1,000. 

If you have more questions about women’s colleges and feel like you could benefit from more guidance during your college application journey, reach out to learn more about our services. 

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