I remember when making my college list, including a Historically Women’s College barely crossed my mind. Little did I know that a year later I would end up at one! A lot of this was because I had no idea what historically women’s colleges were and what made them different from co-ed schools. Luckily for you, I am here to explain!
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What are Historically Women’s Colleges?
A Historically Women’s College is a school that has traditionally only accepted women. Historically, these schools were created in response to most colleges being all-male, and today the few left continue to have a majority female student body.
I will make a note here that the reason they are called “Historically Women’s Colleges” and not “All Women’s Colleges” is that many schools are open to students of all gender identities, not just cis women. I remember when I applied, my school asked me whether I have ever identified with the female experience. If you feel this applies to you, I encourage you to take a look at HWCs! If not, but gender diversity at college is important to you, I recommend taking a look at this database of queer-friendly schools.
As for what these schools are like, most are small, private liberal arts colleges. There are about 35 left in the US today, some of which are attached to larger institutions and others independent. Many of the students that are attracted to these schools are people who are looking for spaces where they may feel more comfortable or empowered, and I can say in my experience this has been the case!
Pros and Cons
Historically Women’s Colleges are not for everyone, which is why I am going to list some pros and cons before going into the list. As for the pros, a lot of these schools are liberal arts colleges with tight-knit communities. This means small class sizes and academics that can be pretty rigorous. Personally, I have felt a lot more comfortable participating in class and generally more supported by my classmates than I did at my co-ed high school. A lot of women in fields that are traditionally dominated by men (like science and engineering) also find these disciplines easier to navigate at HWCs. Lastly, many of these schools have a strong alumnae network, which makes it easier to connect with professionals in fields you are interested in.
That being said, some aspects of HWCs may not match your preferences. If you are someone looking for a big school, these colleges may not be the place for you. This includes a lot of the things that come with big schools, like Division I sports and Greek Life. I will also say that these schools don’t have as big of a party scene as others. This is not to say there is none, but they’re more low-key than big state schools.
Another important aspect of HWCs is that some have opportunities to take co-ed classes and others don’t. This is because some of them are attached to larger institutions or part of a consortium (which is a group of schools you can take classes at). This may be a pro or a con for you, but keep in mind that at all HWCs there are at least some required classes that will have no men.
Seven Sisters
The Seven Sisters are a group of liberal arts HWCs located in the Northeast, originally created as counterparts to the Ivy League. I have listed these below:
| Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA | Small, suburban |
| Barnard College | New York, NY | Small, urban, part of Columbia University |
| Smith College | Northampton, MA | Small, rural, part of Five College Consortium with UMass Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, Amherst Colleges |
| Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, MA | Small, rural, part of Five College Consortium |
| Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA | Small, rural, part of Tri-College Consortium with Swarthmore and Haverford Colleges |
(Vassar is now co-ed and Radcliffe merged with Harvard)
Some Other (Just as Awesome) Women’s Colleges
Here are some other historically women’s colleges, which are located all across the US:
| Scripps College | Claremont, CA | Small, suburban, part of Claremont Colleges |
| Hollins University | Roanoke, VA | Small, suburban |
| Spelman College | Atlanta, GA | Small, urban, historically Black college |
| Simmons University | Boston, MA | Small, urban |
| Bay Path University | Longmeadow, MA | Small, suburban, Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield |
| Meredith College | Raleigh, NC | Small, urban, historically Baptist |
| Mills College | Oakland, CA | Small, urban, merge with Northeastern |
| Moore College of Art and Design | Philadelphia, PA | Small, urban, art school |
| Stephens College | Columbia, MO | Small, urban |
Religious Women’s Colleges
Lastly, there are also a large number of historical women’s colleges or HWCs that are affiliated with religious organizations. Most of these are small liberal arts colleges or universities located in the South or Midwest.
| Agnes Scott College | Decatur, GA | Small, suburban, Presbyterian |
| St. Catherine University | Saint Paul, MN | Medium, urban, Catholic |
| College of Saint Mary | Omaha, NE | Small, urban, Catholic |
| College of Saint Benedict | Saint Joseph, MN | Small, rural, Catholic |
| Saint Mary’s College | Notre Dame, IN | Small, rural, Catholic |
| Alverno College | Milwaukee, WI | Small, urban, Catholic |
| Mount Mary University | Milwaukee, WI | Small, urban, Catholic |
| Notre Dame of Maryland University | Baltimore, MD | Small, urban, Catholic |
A final note: I used niche.com to compile a majority of this list, so I recommend looking at the schools here if you are more interested.
In Conclusion
My last piece of advice is to make sure you’re doing research into these schools before adding them to your list. Many of them have characteristics in common, but each has a different environment and opportunities. Good luck searching!