List of women's universities and colleges in the United States
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The following is a list of women's colleges in the United States, organized by state. These are institutions of higher education in the United States whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women. There are approximately sixty active women's colleges in the U.S., most commonly liberal arts colleges.
Currently active women's colleges are listed in bold text. Colleges that are closed are listed in italics. Former women's colleges that are now coeducational are listed in plain text.
Alabama
[edit]- Alabama Central Female College, Tuscaloosa, August 22, 1923; the main building burned down and became a park in the 1930s. No mention of the school after this date.
- Alabama Conference Female College, Tuskegee (originally Tuskegee Female College)[1] From 1854 to 1909 college was in Tuskegee, then moved to Montgomery. Co-ed in 1934, then renamed Huntingdon College in 1935. Also known as Woman's College of Alabama.
- Alabama Female Institute (1830–1888). Previously known as Sims's Academy, and Tuscaloosa Female Academy.
- Athens Female Academy, Athens (founded in 1822)[2] Co-ed since 1931, later renamed Athens State University.
- Auburn (Masonic) Female College, Auburn (operated 1852–1870)
- Auburn Female Institute, Auburn (operated 1892–1908)
- Barber Memorial College, Anniston, Alabama Founded in 1896 and merged with Scotia Women's College in 1916 to create Barber–Scotia Junior College for women in Concord, NC. In 1954, Barber–Scotia College became coeducational. Today, the college maintains close ties to the Presbyterian Church.
- Florence Synodical Female College, Florence, Alabama[3] (operated 1855–1893)
- Huntsville Female College, Huntsville, Alabama (operated 1851–1895)
- Judson College, Marion (operated 1838–2021)
- University of Montevallo, Montevallo (co-ed since 1956; also known as Alabama Girls' Industrial School)
- University of West Alabama, Livingston (co-ed since 1915; officially women-serving until the 1950s)
Arkansas
[edit]- Crescent College and Conservatory, Eureka Springs, Arkansas (operated 1908–1924)
- Galloway Female College, Searcy opened 1889 (merged with Hendrix College in 1933)
California
[edit]- Dominican University of California, San Rafael (co-ed since 1971)
- Holy Names University, Oakland (co-ed since 1971; closed in 2023)
- Los Angeles Pacific College (defunct), East Los Angeles, California (co-ed 1960–1965)
- Marymount College of Los Angeles, Los Angeles (merged to create Loyola Marymount University in 1973)
- Mills College, Oakland (merged with Northeastern University in 2022)
- Mount St. Mary's University, Los Angeles
- Napa Ladies' Seminary
- Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont (co-ed since 1967; graduate school since 2021)
- Pitzer College, Claremont (co-ed since 1970)
- Presentation College, Los Gatos (closed in 1971)
- St. Joseph College, Orange (merged to create Loyola Marymount University in 1973)
- San Diego College for Women, San Diego (merged to create the University of San Diego in 1972)
- San Francisco College for Women, San Francisco (co-ed as Lone Mountain College in 1969, merged into University of San Francisco in 1978)
- Scripps College, Claremont
Colorado
[edit]- Colorado Women's College, Denver (closed in 1982; assets merged into the University of Denver)
- Loretto Heights College, Denver (closed in 1988; assets merged into the Regis University)
- Colorado Women's College Collaboratory, Denver (ceased admitting students in 2015)
Connecticut
[edit]- Albertus Magnus College, New Haven (co-ed since 1985)
- Annhurst College, South Woodstock (co-ed in 1972; closed in 1980)
- Connecticut College, New London (co-ed since 1969)
- Diocesan Sisters College, Bloomfield (closed in 1969)
- Hartford College for Women, Hartford (merged into the University of Hartford in 1991; closed in 2003)
- Hartford Female Seminary, Hartford (closed in the late 19th century)
- Litchfield Female Academy, Litchfield (closed in 1833)
- Maplewood Music Seminary, East Haddam
- Mount Sacred Heart College, Hamden (closed in 1997)
- University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford (fully co-ed since 2018, though it had admitted male graduate and evening students earlier)
District of Columbia
[edit]- Fairmont Junior College, founded 1899
- Mount Vernon College for Women, Georgetown (closed in 1999; campus now part of George Washington University)
- Trinity Washington University, Washington (primary undergraduate college remains women-only; Trinity College until 2004)
- Washington College of Law at American University, Tenleytown (although female-serving and originally women-only, first admitted males in 1897)
- Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross, Washington, D.C., founded in 1935, closed in 1973
Florida
[edit]- Barry University, Miami Shores (co-ed since 1975)
- Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach (founded as the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls; became co-ed in 1923 when it merged with Cookman Institute in Jacksonville to become a high school)
- Florida State University, Tallahassee (founded as "Seminary West of the Suwanee", a co-ed institution in 1851, became "Florida State College for Women" in 1905, and returned to co-education with current name in 1947)
- Lynn University, Boca Raton (co-ed since 1971)
- Saint Joseph College of Florida, Jensen Beach (closed in 1972)
Georgia
[edit]- Agnes Scott College, Decatur
- Americus Female College, Americus (closed in 1879)
- Andrew College, Cuthbert (co-ed since 1956)
- Bethel Female College, Cuthbert (closed in 1875)
- Brenau University, Gainesville
- Chappell College for Women (also known as Chappell's College), Columbus (closed)
- Cox College, LaGrange and later College Park (closed in 1934)
- Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville (co-ed since 1967)
- Griffin Female College, Griffin (founded 1848)
- Hamilton Female College, Hamilton (closed in 1870)[4]
- Houston Female College, Perry (closed in 1896)
- LaGrange College, LaGrange (co-ed since 1953)
- Madison Collegiate Institute and Methodist Female College, Madison (closed in 1880)
- Monroe Female Seminary (founded in 1829)[2]
- Shorter University, Rome (co-ed since 1953)
- Sparta Female Seminary (founded in 1829)[2]
- Spelman College, Atlanta
- Talbotton Female Seminary (founded in 1829)[2]
- Tift College, Forsyth (merged with Mercer University in 1986; closed by Mercer in 1987)
- Valdosta State University, Valdosta (co-ed since 1950)
- Wesleyan College, Macon
Illinois
[edit]- Aurora University, Aurora (originally Mendota College, which became co-ed in 1860)
- Barat College of the Sacred Heart, Lake Forest (founded in 1858, became co-ed in 1973, purchased by DePaul University in 2001, closed in 2005)
- Dominican University, River Forest (co-ed since 1970; Rosary College until 1997)
- Evanston College for Ladies, Evanston (merged with Northwestern University in 1873)
- Lexington College, Chicago (closed in 2014)
- MacMurray College, Jacksonville (fully co-ed institution since 1969; a separate men's college formed in 1955; closed in 2020)
- Monticello College, Godfrey (closed in 1971)
- Mundelein College, Chicago (merged with Loyola University Chicago in 1991)
- North-Western Female College, founded in 1855; merged with Evanston College for Ladies and Northwestern University in 1873
- Rockford University, Rockford, IL (founded as Rockford Female Seminary in 1847; co-ed in 1958; Rockford College 1892–2013)
- Saint Xavier University, Chicago (co-ed since 1969)
- Shimer College, Chicago (co-ed since 1950; acquired by North Central College in 2017)
- University of St. Francis, Joliet (co-ed since 1971)
Indiana
[edit]- Coates College for Women, Terre Haute (closed in 1897)
- Long College for Women, Hanover (closed by Hanover College in 1978)
- Marian University, Indianapolis (co-ed since 1954; Marian College until 2009)
- Moravian Seminary for Young Ladies, Hope, Indiana (operated 1866–1881)
- Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, St. Mary's (co-ed since 2015)
- University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne (co-ed since 1957)
Iowa
[edit]- Briar Cliff University, Sioux City (co-ed since 1966)
- Clarke University (co-ed since 1979; Clarke College until 2010)
- Decorah College for Women, Decorah (merged with Luther College in 1936)
- Marycrest International University, Davenport (co-ed in 1969, closed in 2002)
- Mount Mercy University, Cedar Rapids (co-ed since 1969; Mount Mercy College until 2010)
- Ottumwa Heights College, Ottumwa (co-ed in 1967; closed in 1980)
Kansas
[edit]- Newman University, Wichita (co-ed since 1965)
- Mount St. Scholastica College, Atchison (merged with all-male St. Benedict's College in 1971 to form Benedictine College)
- Oswego College for Young Ladies, Oswego (closed in 1910)
- University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth (co-ed since 1988; Saint Mary College until 2003)
- Vail College, Topeka (closed in 1928; also known as College of the Sisters of Bethany)
Kentucky
[edit]- Green River Academy (started in 1834 by the Cumberland Presbytery), now a museum run by the Green River Academy Preservation Society.
- Beaumont College, Kentucky (closed in 1917)
- Bethel College, Russellville (co-ed in 1951; closed in 1964)
- Brescia University, Owensboro (established co-ed Owensboro branch in 1925; became co-ed in 1950 when branches merged)
- Caldwell Female College, Danville, Kentucky, was originally chartered as the Henderson Female Institute in 1854; changed its name in 1860 to honor the principle donor, Charles Caldwell. In 1913, it consolidated with the Princeton Collegiate Institute and became the Kentucky College for Women (see more on this below).
- Campbell–Hagerman College, Lexington (founded in 1903; closed in 1912)
- Cedar Bluff College, Woodburn (closed in 1892)
- Clinton College, Clinton (co-ed in 1876; closed in 1915)
- Elizabethtown Female Academy, Elizabethtown, incorporated in 1848,[5] grew out of the boys-only Hardin Academy, established in 1806.[6]
- Georgetown Female College, Georgetown (merged with Georgetown College in 1893)
- Hamilton College, Lexington was founded in 1869 as Hocker Female College. a private women's college affiliated with the Disciples of Christ. Its name changed in 1878. In 1889, Kentucky University (later Transylvania University), bought a stake in the school, taking total control in 1903. Closed in 1932.
- John Lyle's Female Seminary (founded in 1806)[2]
- Kentucky College for Young Ladies, Pewee Valley, was chartered and opened in 1874. Boys were allowed for day classes in 1896. Destroyed by fired at the end of the century.
- Kentucky College for Women, Danville, formerly Caldwell Female College, merged with Centre College in 1926 (as the women's department) but did not formally consolidate with Centre until 1930. Women students didn't move to the Centre campus until 1962.
- Lexington Female College, Lexington, Kentucky[7]
- Logan Female College, Russellville (closed in 1931)
- Lynnland Female Institute or Lynnland Female College, Glendale, Kentucky started in 1867 In the 1870s, it became co-educational as the Lynnland Military Institution with the women taught in a separate department. Closed in 1879. By 1888, the school returned to its former status as a college for women and renamed Lynnland Female College. After the 1914–15 academic term, Lynnland was sold and became the site of an orphanage.
- Midway University, Midway (co-ed since 2016, though it had admitted male evening, weekend, and online students earlier)
- Millersburg Female College started first as a Female Collegiate Institute in Georgetown in 1837, affiliated with the Disciples of Christ Through the 1850s it was coeducational. In February 1860 the state granted a charter to the Millersburg Female College, and in June 1867 it graduated its first class of four women. In 1915, it was renamed Millersburg College and in 1931 the nearby Millersburg Military Institute purchased it for elementary school for its junior cadets. College and a normal department was established in 1862.
- Nazareth Academy, Nelson County/ Founded in 1814 by the Catholic Sisters of Charity of Nazareth; moved from its original site outside of Bardstown to Nazareth in 1822. Received authority to grant degrees in 1829; later designated as a college. For further history, see Spalding College below.
- Owensboro Female College opened in the fall of 1890 and chartered on March 26, 1893, to offer literary degrees: mistress of arts and mistress of belles-lettres. By 1931 the building was taken over by the Owensboro Trade School, and in 1939 the building was demolished in favor of a new building.
- Pleasant J. Potter College, Bowling Green (closed in 1909)
- Sayre Female Institute, Lexington was founded in November 1854 as the Transylvania Female Seminary. In 1855, name changed to the Sayre Female Institute, and the state granted its charter in 1856 to confer collegiate degrees. Became co-ed after World War I and became a college preparatory school in 1962. See the National Register nomination form for more details.
- Spalding College, Louisville. Founded in 1920 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth as the Louisville campus of Nazareth College. Instruction continued at both locations until 1971, when all instruction was moved to Louisville. The school became Spalding College in 1969, and became coeducational in 1973. It adopted its current name of Spalding University in 1984.
- St. Catharine College, Springfield (co-ed in 1951; closed in 2016)
- Stanford Female College, Stanford (closed in 1907)
- Ursuline College, Louisville (merged into Bellarmine College in 1968)
- Villa Madonna College, Covington, was founded in 1921 as a women's college by the Benedictine Sisters of Covington and chartered by the state in 1923. It ran coeducational classes through an affiliation with the all-male St. Thomas More College. In 1945, Villa Madonna became coeducational and St. Thomas More was abolished. The school changed its name to Thomas More College in 1968, the same year it moved to its current campus in Crestview Hills, and adopted its current name of Thomas More University in 2018.
Louisiana
[edit]- College of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau (closed in 1956, see Academy of the Sacred Heart)
- Dodd College, Shreveport (closed in 1942)
- H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, New Orleans (discontinued by Tulane University in 2006)
- Keachi Female College, Keachi, in Desoto Parish (closed in 1912)
- Mansfield Female College, Mansfield (merged with Centenary College of Louisiana in 1930)
- University of Holy Cross, New Orleans (co-ed since 1967; Our Lady of Holy Cross College until 2016)
- St. Mary's Dominican College, New Orleans (closed in 1984)
Maine
[edit]- Saint Joseph's College of Maine, Standish (co-ed since 1970)
Maryland
[edit]- Baltimore Female College, Baltimore (founded 1849, closed in 1890)
- Cambridge Female Academy (founded in 1830)[2]
- Chevy Chase Junior College, Chevy Chase (1903 to 1950)
- Goucher College, Towson (since 1910), formerly the Women's College of Baltimore (co-ed since 1986)
- Hood College, Frederick (previously the Woman's College of Frederick; founded 1893, co-ed since 2002)
- Lutherville Female Seminary (later renamed Maryland College for Women), Lutherville (1853–1952)
- Mount Saint Agnes College, Mount Washington, Baltimore (closed in 1971; then merged with all-male Loyola College, now part of co-ed Loyola University Maryland)
- Mount Washington Female College, Mount Washington, Baltimore (1856–1861)
- St. Mary's Female Seminary Junior College, St. Mary's County, in St. Mary's City (converted legally to coeducational in 1949, but in reality was still mostly female, then mostly a women's college); name changed in 1949 to St. Mary's Seminary (dropping the word "female" from the name - not to be confused with a similarly named Roman Catholic institution in Baltimore on North Paca Street, later Roland Avenue and Belvedere Avenue/Northern Parkway), converted to a fully coeducational and four-year college in 1966; at which time name was changed to St. Mary's College of Maryland, and now associated with the state system of public state colleges (University System of Maryland)
- Notre Dame of Maryland University (co-ed since 2023; College of Notre Dame of Maryland until 2011; Meletia Hall remains women-only), Baltimore
- Patapsco Female Institute, Ellicott City, in Howard County, founded 1837 (closed in 1891)
- Saint Joseph College, Emmitsburg (closed in 1973 to merge with then-all-male Mount Saint Mary's University, which has been co-ed since then)
- Stevenson University, Stevenson (co-ed since 1972; Villa Julie College until 2008)
- Woman's Medical College of Baltimore, Baltimore (1882–1910)[8][9]
Massachusetts
[edit]- Anna Maria College, Paxton (co-ed since 1973)
- Aquinas College, Milton and Newton (closed in 2000)
- Bard College at Simon's Rock, Great Barrington (co-ed since 1970)
- Bay Path University, Longmeadow
- Bradford College, Haverhill (founded in 1803, co-ed in 1971; closed in 2000)
- Cardinal Cushing College, Brookline (closed in 1972)
- Elms College, Chicopee (co-ed since 1998)
- Emmanuel College, Boston (co-ed since 2001)
- Endicott College, Beverly (co-ed since 1994)
- Garland Junior College, Boston (merged into Simmons College in 1976)
- Ipswich Female Seminary, Ipswich (closed in 1878)
- Jackson College for Women, Medford (coordinate college of Tufts University; merged with School of Arts & Sciences in 1980)
- Lasell University, Newton (co-ed since 1997; Lasell College until 2019)
- Lesley College, Cambridge (a college of Lesley University; co-ed since 2005)
- Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley
- Mount Ida College, Newton (co-ed since 1972; closed in 2018 and acquired by University of Massachusetts at Amherst as Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst)
- New England Female Medical College, Boston (merged into the Boston University School of Medicine in 1874)
- New England School of Law, Boston (co-ed since 1938)
- Newton College of the Sacred Heart, Newton Centre (merged with Boston College in 1974)
- Oread Institute, Worcester (closed in 1934)
- Pine Manor College, Chestnut Hill (co-ed since 2014; incorporated into Boston College in 2020)
- Radcliffe College, Cambridge (closed in 1999 and now an institute within Harvard University)
- Regis College, Weston (co-ed since 2007)
- Simmons University, Boston (While the school has online programs open to all, and has opened its graduate programs to men, its daytime undergraduate program remains women-only.)[10]
- Smith College, Northampton
- Wellesley College, Wellesley
- Wheaton College (co-ed since 1987)
- Wheelock College, Boston (co-ed in 1967; merged with Boston University in 2018)
Michigan
[edit]- Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Michigan (co-ed since 1931)
- Madonna University, Livonia (co-ed since 1972)
- Marygrove College, Detroit (co-ed in 1970, closed in 2019)
- Mercy College of Detroit, Detroit (co-ed date unknown; merged to form the University of Detroit Mercy in 1990)
- Michigan Female College, Lansing (began in 1855)[11]
- Michigan Female Seminary, Kalamazoo (began in 1865)[12]
- Siena Heights University, Adrian (co-ed since 1969)
- Young Ladies Seminary and Collegiate Institute, Monroe
Minnesota
[edit]- College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph (Began a partnership with the nearby all-male Saint John's University in 1955, when the two schools started offering joint evening classes. Since 1961, the schools have operated a joint academic program with fully coeducational classes. Nonetheless, the schools remain legally and administratively separate, with separate residential facilities and athletic programs.)
- College of St. Scholastica, Duluth (co-ed since 1969)
- St. Catherine University, Saint Paul (College of St. Catherine until 2009)
- College of Saint Teresa, Winona (closed in 1989)
- Lea College, Albert Lea (co-ed date unknown; closed in 1973)
- Saint Mary's Junior College, Minneapolis (merged with College of St. Catherine in 1985)
Mississippi
[edit]- All Saints' College, Vicksburg (co-ed in 1971; closed in 2006)
- Blue Mountain Christian University, Blue Mountain (co-ed since 2005; Blue Mountain College until 2022)
- Chickasaw Female College, Pontotoc (closed in 1936)
- Corona College, Corinth (closed in 1862)
- Elizabeth Female Academy, Washington (founded in 1819, closed in 1845)
- Hillman College, Clinton (merged with Mississippi College in 1942)
- Mary Holmes College, West Point (co-ed in 1932; closed in 2003)
- Meridian Female College (closed in 1904)
- Mississippi University for Women, Columbus (co-ed since 1982)
- Mount Hermon Female Seminary, Clinton (closed in 1924)
- Port Gibson Female College, Port Gibson (closed in 1928)
- Sharon Female College, Sharon (closed in 1873)
- Union Female College, Oxford
- Whitworth College, Brookhaven (co-ed in 1950; closed in 1980)[13]
- William Carey University, Hattiesburg (co-ed since 1954)
Missouri
[edit]- Avila University, Kansas City (co-ed since 1969)
- Baird College, Clinton (closed in 1898)
- Carlton College, Springfield (closed in 1861)
- Central Female College, Lexington (closed in 1924)
- Clinton College, Clinton (closed in 1904)
- Cottey College, Nevada
- Columbia College (Missouri), Columbia (co-ed since 1969; Christian College 1851–1970)
- Forest Park College, St. Louis (closed in 1925)
- Hardin College and Conservatory of Music, Mexico (closed in 1931)
- Howard–Payne Junior College, Fayette (closed in 1927)
- Independence College, Independence (closed in 1898)
- Kansas City Ladies College, Independence (closed in 1905)
- Lindenwood University, St. Charles (co-ed since 1969)
- Madame Perdreville's School for Girls (founded in 1818)[2]
- Marillac College, St. Louis (closed in 1974)
- Maryville University, Town and Country (co-ed since 1968)
- Notre Dame College, St. Louis (closed in 1977)
- Patee Female College, St. Joseph (closed in 1868)
- St. Joseph Female College, St. Joseph (closed in 1881)
- St. Louis Female Academy (founded in 1823)[2]
- Stephens College, Columbia
- Synodical College, Fulton (closed in 1928)
- Webster University, Webster Groves (co-ed since 1962)
- William Woods University, Fulton (co-ed since 1997)
- Woman's Medical College of St. Louis, St. Louis (closed in 1896)
Nebraska
[edit]- Clarkson College, Omaha (co-ed since the 1970s)
- College of Saint Mary, Omaha
New Hampshire
[edit]- Miss Catherine Fiske's Young Ladies Seminary in Keene (founded in 1814)[2]
- Colby–Sawyer College, New London (women's college from 1928 to 1990; co-ed since 1991)
- Mount Saint Mary College, Hooksett (closed in 1978)
- Notre Dame College, Manchester (became co-ed in 1985; closed in 2002; academic programs merged into Southern New Hampshire University)[14]
- Pierce College for Women, Concord (closed in 1972)
- Rivier University, Nashua (co-ed since 1991; Rivier College until 2012)
New Jersey
[edit]- Assumption College for Sisters, Denville
- Bordentown Female College, Bordentown (closed in 1893)
- Caldwell University, Caldwell (co-ed since 1985; Caldwell College until 2014)
- Centenary University, Hackettstown (co-ed since 1988; Centenary College until 2016)
- St. Elizabeth University, Morristown (co-ed since 2015; College of Saint Elizabeth until 2020)
- Douglass College (Rutgers University), New Brunswick (a residential college since 2007)
- Englewood Cliffs College, Englewood Cliffs (co-ed in 1969; closed in 1974)
- Evelyn College for Women, Princeton University, Princeton (closed in 1897)
- Felician University, Lodi and Rutherford (co-ed since 1986; Felician College until 2015)
- Georgian Court University, Lakewood (co-ed since 2013; Georgian Court College until 2004)
New York
[edit]- Adelphi University, Garden City (women's college from 1912 to 1946)
- Barleywood Female University, Rochester (closed in 1853)
- Barnard College, Manhattan (affiliated with Columbia University, but independent)
- Bennett College, Millbrook (closed in 1978)
- Briarcliff College, Briarcliff Manor (closed in 1977)
- Cazenovia College, Cazenovia (women's college 1961–1982; closed in 2023)
- Chamberlain Institute and Female College, Randolph
- University of Mount Saint Vincent, Riverdale (co-ed since 1974; College of Mount Saint Vincent until 2023)
- College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle (co-ed in 2016; merged into Mercy College in 2019)
- College of Saint Rose, Albany (co-ed since 1969; closing in 2024)
- Daemen University, Amherst (co-ed since 1971; Daemen College until 2022)
- Dominican University, Orangeburg (co-ed since 1967; Dominican College until 2022)
- D'Youville University, Buffalo (co-ed since 1971; D'Youville College until 2022)
- Elmira College, Elmira (co-ed since 1969)
- Finch College, Manhattan (closed in 1976)
- Hunter College, Manhattan (co-ed since 1964)
- Ingham University, Le Roy (closed in 1892)
- Keuka College, Keuka Park (co-ed since 1985)
- Ladycliff College, Highland Falls, New York (co-ed in 1974, closed in 1980)
- LIM College, Manhattan (co-ed since 1972)
- Kirkland College, Clinton (merged with Hamilton College in 1978)
- Manhattanville University, Purchase (co-ed since 1969; Manhattanville College until 2024)
- Marymount College, Tarrytown (closed by Fordham University in 2007)
- Marymount Manhattan College, Manhattan (co-ed since 1970)
- Mercy University, Dobbs Ferry (co-ed since the 1970s; Mercy College until 2023)
- Molloy University, Rockville Centre (co-ed since 1982; Molloy College until 2022)
- Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh (co-ed since 1968)
- Nazareth University, Pittsford (co-ed since the 1970s; Nazareth College until 2023)
- New York Medical College for Women, Manhattan (closed in 1918)
- Notre Dame College, Staten Island (merged with St. John's University in 1971)
- Russell Sage College, Troy (co-ed since 2020 after it merged with Sage College of Albany)
- Rutgers Female College, Manhattan (1838–1894)
- Sarah Lawrence College, Yonkers (co-ed since 1968)
- Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs (co-ed since 1971)
- Stern College for Women, Manhattan (a college of Yeshiva University)
- St. Joseph's University, Brooklyn, New York (co-ed since 1970; St. Joseph's College until 2022)
- Trocaire College, Buffalo (co-ed since 1972)
- Vassar College, Poughkeepsie (co-ed since 1969)
- Villa Maria College, Buffalo (co-ed since 1968)
- Wells College, Aurora (co-ed since 2005; closed in 2024)
- William Smith College, Geneva (coordinate college of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges)
North Carolina
[edit]- Asheville Female College, Asheville
- Barber–Scotia College, Concord (co-ed since 1954)
- Bennett College, Greensboro
- Chowan University, Murfreesboro (co-ed since 1931)
- Concord Female Seminary, Statesville
- East Carolina University, Greenville (no male graduates until 1932; officially co-ed since 1947)
- Flora MacDonald College, Red Springs (merged with all-male Presbyterian Junior College in 1958 to form St. Andrews University)
- Greensboro College, Greensboro (co-ed since 1954)
- Judson College, Hendersonville (operated 1882–92; co-ed date unknown)
- Lees-McRae College, Banner Elk (co-ed since 1931)
- Linwood Female College, near Gastonia (co-ed 1915, closed 1921)
- Louisburg College, Louisburg (co-ed since 1931)
- Mecklenburg Female College, Mecklenburg[15]
- Meredith College, Raleigh
- Montreat College, Montreat (women's college 1945–1959, now co-ed)
- Queens University of Charlotte, Charlotte (co-ed since 1987)
- Salem College, Winston-Salem
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro (co-ed since 1963)
- Wesleyan Female College, Murfreesboro (closed 1893)[16]
- William Peace University, Raleigh (co-ed since 2012; Peace College until 2012)
North Dakota
[edit]- University of Mary, Bismarck (co-ed since 1970; Mary College until 1986)
Ohio
[edit]- Cincinnati Wesleyan Female Seminary, Cincinnati
- Edgecliff College, Cincinnati (co-ed since 1970; merged with Xavier University in 1980)
- Hillsboro Female College, Hillsboro
- Lake Erie College, Painesville (co-ed since 1985)
- Lourdes University, Sylvania (co-ed since 1975; Lourdes College until 2011)
- Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati (co-ed since 1986; College of Mount St. Joseph until 2014)
- Notre Dame College, South Euclid (co-ed since 2001; closed in 2024)
- Ohio Dominican University, Columbus (co-ed since 1964; Ohio Dominican College until 2002)
- Ohio Female College, Cincinnati (closed 1873)
- Ohio Wesleyan Female College, Delaware (closed in 1877; merged with Ohio Wesleyan University)
- Oxford Female Institute, Oxford (merged with Miami University)
- Shepardson College for Women, Granville, Ohio (merged with Denison University in 1900)
- Steubenville Female Seminary, Steubenville (operated 1829–1898)
- Ursuline College, Pepper Pike
- Western College for Women, Oxford (closed in 1974; merged with Miami University)
Oklahoma
[edit]- Oklahoma College for Women (co-ed since 1965; currently named University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma)[17][18]
Oregon
[edit]- Marylhurst University, Marylhurst (co-ed in 1974; St. Mary's College until 1930; closed in 2018)
- Mount Angel College, Mount Angel (closed in 1972)
Pennsylvania
[edit]- Alvernia University, Reading (co-ed since 1971; Alvernia College until 2008)
- Arcadia University, Glenside (co-ed since 1972; Beaver Female Seminary 1853–1872; Beaver College 1872–2001)
- Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr
- Cabrini University, Radnor (co-ed since 1980; Cabrini College until 2016, Closed 2023)
- Carlow University, Pittsburgh (co-ed since 1945, though still women-serving; Mount Mercy College 1929–1969; Carlow College 1969–2004)
- Cedar Crest College, Allentown
- Chatham University, Pittsburgh (co-ed since 2014; Chatham College 1955–2007)
- Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia (co-ed since 2003; Mount Saint Joseph College 1924–1938)
- Gwynedd Mercy University, Gwynedd Valley (co-ed since 1966)
- Holy Family University, Philadelphia (co-ed since 1970–71; Holy Family College until 2002)
- Harcum College, Bryn Mawr (co-ed since 2003)
- Immaculata University, Malvern (co-ed since 2005; Villa Maria College 1920–1929; Immaculata College 1929–2002)
- La Roche University, McCandless (co-ed since 1970; La Roche College until 2019)
- Margaret Morrison Carnegie College, Pittsburgh (closed by Carnegie Mellon University in 1973)
- Marywood University, Scranton (co-ed since 1989; Marywood College until 1997)
- Mercyhurst University, Erie (co-ed since 1969; Mercyhurst College until 2012)
- Misericordia University, Dallas (co-ed since the 1970s; College Misericordia 1924–2007)
- Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia
- Moravian University, Bethlehem (founded in 1742, co-ed since 1954; Moravian College until 2021)
- Mount Aloysius College, Cresson (co-ed since 1968)
- Neumann University, Aston (co-ed since 1980; Our Lady of Angels College 1965–1980; Neumann College 1980–2009)
- Pittsburgh Female College, Pittsburgh (closed in 1896)
- Rosemont College, Rosemont (co-ed since 2009)
- Seton Hill University, Greensburg (co-ed since 2002; Seton Hill College 1918–2002)
- Susquehanna Female College, Selinsgrove (closed in 1872, students transferred to the Missionary Institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, now Susquehanna University)
- Villa Maria College, Erie (merged into Gannon University in 1989)
- Wilson College, Chambersburg (co-ed since 2013)
- Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (co-ed since 1970, now part of Drexel University's College of Medicine)
Rhode Island
[edit]- Pembroke College, Providence (formerly coordinate college of Brown University; fully merged into Brown in 1971)
- Salve Regina University, Newport (co-ed since 1973; Salve Regina College until 1991)
South Carolina
[edit]- Anderson University, Anderson (co-ed since 1930)
- Chicora College, Greenville and Columbia (merged with Queens College of Charlotte in 1930)
- Coker University, Hartsville (co-ed since 1969; Coker College until 2019)
- Columbia College, Columbia (co-ed since 2021)
- Columbia Female College, Columbia (closed in 1888)
- Converse University, Spartanburg (co-ed since 2020; Converse College until 2021)
- Due West Female College, Due West (merged with Erskine College in 1927; closed in 1928)
- Greenville (Baptist) Female College, Greenville (initially Greenville Female College, later Greenville Woman's College; merged with Furman University in 1938, but both student bodies remained separate until 1961)
- Johnson Female University, Anderson (operated from 1856 to 1863)
- Lander University, Greenwood (co-ed since 1943; Williamston Female College until then)
- Laurensville Female College, Laurens (closing date unknown)
- Limestone University, Gaffney (co-ed since 1970; Limestone College until 2020)
- Old Cokesbury and Masonic Female College and Conference School, Cokesbury (educated women 1854–1874; educated boys 1876–1882; became a public school in 1918; closed in 1954)
- Orangeburg Female College, Orangeburg (closing date unknown)
- Reidville Female College, Reidville (closing date unknown)
- South Carolina Female Collegiate Institute, Barhamville in Columbia (closed in 1867)
- Spartanburg Female College, Spartanburg (closed in 1871)
- Summerland College for Women, Batesburg (closed in 1930)
- Walhalla Female College, Walhalla (closed in 1885)
- Winthrop University, Rock Hill (co-ed since 1974)
- Yorkville Female College, York (closed in 1880)
South Dakota
[edit]- Mount Marty University, Yankton (co-ed since 1969, Mount Marty College until 2020)
- Presentation College, Aberdeen (co-ed since 1968, closed in 2023)
Tennessee
[edit]- Aquinas College, Nashville (co-ed since 1962)
- Bolivar College, Madisonville (operated 1850–19xx ?); Bolivar Female Academy (1850–c. 1890);
- Belmont University, Nashville (co-ed since 1951; Belmont College for Young Women (1890–1913); Ward–Belmont College (1913–1951); Belmont College (1951–1991))
- Brinckley Female College, Memphis
- Cumberland Female College, McMinnville (operated 1850–1892)[19]
- East Tennessee Female Institute, Knoxville (operated as the Knoxville Female Academy 1827–1846; East Tennessee Female Institute 1846–1911)
- Martin Female College, Pulaski. Founded in 1870; became Martin College in 1908 and became co-ed in 1938, with another name change to Martin Methodist College in 1986. The school was sold to the University of Tennessee system in 2021 and now operates as the University of Tennessee Southern.
- Mary Sharp College, Winchester (operated from 1851 to 1896)
- Moses Fisk's Female Academy (founded in 1806)[2]
- Lambuth University, Jackson (co-ed in 1923; closed in 2011)
- Newman College for Women, Jefferson City (merged into Carson-Newman College in 1888)
- Soule College for Women, Murfreesboro (closed in 1855)
- Tennessee College for Women, Murfreesboro (merged with Cumberland University in 1946)
- Ward–Belmont College, Nashville (closed in 1950)
Texas
[edit]- Carr–Burdette College, Sherman (closed in 1929)
- Chappell Hill Female College, Chappell Hill (closed in 1912)
- Charnwood Institute, Tyler (Co-ed from 1865 to 1874. Female only from 1874 to 1882. Closed 1882[20])
- Eastern Texas Female College, Tyler (became Charnwood Institute in 1865)
- Hillyer Female College, Goliad (became Paine Female Institute in 1852)
- Kidd-Key College, Sherman (closed in 1935)
- Mary Allen Seminary, Crockett (became co-ed in 1933; closed in 1972)
- Mary Connor Female College, Paris[21]
- University of Mary Hardin–Baylor, Belton (co-ed since 1971, originally female division of Baylor University)
- Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio (co-ed since 1969)
- University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio and Alamo Heights (originally named Incarnate Word School; became College and Academy of the Incarnate Word in 1909; co-ed since 1970, known as the University of the Incarnate Word since 1996)
- University of San Antonio, San Antonio (closed in 1942)
- Texas Woman's University, Denton, Dallas and Houston (health sciences graduate school went co-ed in 1972; university fully co-ed since 1994)
- Tillotson College, Austin (women's college from 1926 to 1935)
- Waco Female College, Waco (closed 1895)
Utah
[edit]- College of Saint Mary-of-the-Wasatch, Salt Lake City (closed in 1969)
Vermont
[edit]- Bennington College, Bennington (co-ed since 1969)
- College of St. Joseph, Rutland (co-ed in 1971, closed in 2019)
- Green Mountain College, Poultney (co-ed in 1974, closed in 2019)
- Trinity College of Vermont, Burlington (closed in 2000)
Virginia
[edit]- Averett University, Danville (co-ed since 1969; Union Female College 1859–1917; Averett College 1917–2001)
- Blackstone College, Blackstone (closed in 1950)
- Chesapeake Female College, Hampton (operated 1854–1861)[22]
- Elizabeth College, Salem (closed in 1922)
- Fauquier Institute, Warrenton, Fauquier County, Virginia (operated 1860–c. 1929)
- Hartshorn Memorial College, Richmond (merged with Virginia Union University in 1932)
- Hollins University, Roanoke
- Longwood University, Farmville (co-ed since 1976)
- Madison College, Harrisonburg (de facto co-ed since 1946, officially co-ed since 1966; adopted current name of James Madison University in 1976)
- Marion College, Marion (closed in 1967)
- Martha Washington College, Abingdon (closed in 1931)
- Mary Baldwin University, Staunton (co-ed since 2017; the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership cadet program remains all-female.)
- Marymount University, Arlington (co-ed since 1986)
- Radford University, Radford (co-ed since 1972)
- Randolph College, Lynchburg (co-ed since 2007; Randolph-Macon Woman's College 1891–2007)
- Roanoke Women's College, founded in 1912, merged with Elizabeth College in 1915. Elizabeth College burned under suspicious circumstances in 1921 and officially closed in 1922. Its alumnae and records were adopted by the nearby Roanoke College.
- Southern Virginia University, Buena Vista (co-ed since 1994)
- Stratford College, Danville (closed in 1974)
- Sullins College, Bristol (closed in 1976)
- Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar (almost closed in June 2015, but remains open)
- University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg (co-ed since 1970)
- Virginia Intermont College, Bristol, Virginia (co-ed since 1972, closed in 2014)
- Westhampton College, Richmond (formerly coordinate college of University of Richmond; both undergraduate schools combined to form co-ed School of Arts and Sciences in 1990)
Washington
[edit]- Forest Ridge Junior College, Seattle (closed in 1957)
- Fort Wright College, Toppenish (closed in 1980; evolved into co-ed Heritage University)
West Virginia
[edit]- Alderson Academy, Alderson (merged into Broaddus College in 1932 to become Alderson–Broaddus College; name Alderson Broaddus University adopted in 2013; closed in 2023)[23]
- Broaddus College, Clarksburg and Philippi (Became co-ed in 1894 and moved from Clarksburg to Philippi in 1909. Merged with Alderson Academy to become Alderson–Broaddus College, which closed in 2023)[23]
- Greenbrier College, Lewisburg (closed in 1972)[24]
Wisconsin
[edit]- Alverno College, Milwaukee
- Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee (co-ed since 1970; closed in 2023)
- Dominican College of Racine, Racine (co-ed since 1955; closed in 1974)
- Edgewood College, Madison (co-ed since 1970)
- Holy Family College, Manitowoc (co-ed since 1969; closed in 2020)
- Marian University, Fond du Lac (co-ed since 1970; Marian College of Fond du Lac until 2008)
- Milwaukee-Downer College, Milwaukee (merged with Lawrence College in 1964)
- Mount Mary University, Milwaukee
- Viterbo University, La Crosse (co-ed since 1970; St. Rose Normal School 1890–1939; Viterbo College 1939–2000)
See also
[edit]- Seven Sisters (colleges)
- Timeline of women's colleges in the United States
- Women's colleges in the Southern United States
- Women's colleges in the United States
- Women's College Coalition
References
[edit]- ^ "Encyclopedia of Alabama article". Encyclopedia of Alabama article. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kristen Welch; Abraham Ruelas (2015). The Role of Female Seminaries on the Road to Social Justice for Women. Wipf and Stock. p. 53. ISBN 9781620325636.
- ^ Steiger's Educational Directory. 1878 Edition. E. Steiger. 1878. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ Seibert, David. "Hamilton Female College". GeorgiaInfo: an Online Georgia Almanac. Digital Library of Georgia. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ Acts of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Frankfort: A.G. Hodges & Co. 1848. p. 421.
- ^ "This History of Hardin County". Hardin County History Museum. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ "Catalogue of the Lexington Female College, Lexington, Ky., for 1878-'79". Kentucky Historical Society Digital Collections. Archived from the original on 10 Apr 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Woman's Medical College of Baltimore Permanently Closed". Journal of the American Medical Association. LIV (24): 1950. 1910. doi:10.1001/jama.1910.02550500036020.
- ^ "Woman's Medical College of Baltimore". 2 June 2018.
- ^ Wong, Alia (June 18, 2019). "The Surreal End of an American College". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- ^ "City of Lansing page on Michigan Female College". Lansingmi.gov. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ Steiger's Educational Directory 1878 Edition. E. Steiger. 1878. p. 27. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ "Whitworth College Archive with complete list of functions of school". Llf.lib.ms.us. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ Forbes, Tina (September 14, 2016). "SNHU to continue academics, employment for Daniel Webster College students and staff". Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
- ^ "1867 post card about MFC". Docsouth.unc.edu. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ "historic marker about Wesleyan Female". Ncmarkers.com. September 12, 1974. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ "OCLA," Archived 2016-01-19 at the Wayback Machine University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Accessed August 31, 2015.
- ^ "Becoming USAO," Archived 2015-09-07 at the Wayback Machine University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Accessed August 31, 2015.
- ^ "article on Cumberland Female College". Cumberland.org. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ "Charnwood Institute".
- ^ "postcard mentioning Mary Connor Female College". Texashistory.unt.edu. July 7, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ "article from site on old Virginia architecture". Vahistorical.org. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ a b "Alderson Broaddus University". Archived from the original on June 24, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
- ^ "Greenbrier College for Women". Archived from the original on June 24, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
Further reading
[edit]- Creighton, Joanne V. A Tradition of Their Own: Or, If a Woman Can Now Be President of Harvard, Why Do We Still Need Women’s Colleges?.
- 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 University Center for Postsecondary Research (IUCPR). "New study finds women’s colleges are better equipped to help their students."
- Horowitz, Helen Lefkowitz. 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).
- Rosenberg, Rosalind. "The Limits of Access: The History Of Coeducation in America." In Women and Higher Education: Essays from the Mount Holyoke College Sesquicentennial Symposia. Ed. John Mack Faragher and Florence Howe. New York: Norton, 1988.