Women's empowerment is one of the most crucial factors in the fight for gender equality, and that’s why women’s colleges remain popular in the modern day. Although once founded upon the belief that women deserved lesser standards for learning and therefore shouldn’t learn alongside men, women’s colleges are now places to uplift women and give them heightened opportunities for success in the working world.
If you’re interested in attending a women’s college as a woman or nonbinary student, this list is a great place to start your search. You’ll find great choices for women’s colleges and universities across the US—and you can connect with all of them quickly and easily! To learn more about these featured schools, just click the green “Connect me” button underneath each one. Then they'll reach out to you with more info!
Please note: Many women’s colleges have specific trans-inclusive admission policies, but we can’t guarantee they all do. If you’re a transgender or nonbinary student, we recommend researching a school further to ensure their inclusivity measures.
Agnes Scott College
Founded in 1889, Agnes Scott College
is an independent liberal arts college for women on a 100-acre campus in Decatur, Georgia—just six miles from downtown Atlanta. Designed as one of the Colleges That Change Lives for its student-centered experience, Agnes Scott has a student body of 1,1000+ and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. Nearly 60% are students of color, with 6% being international students. The College offers more than 30 undergraduate majors and minors as well as over 150 programs in 50+ countries, with nearly half of the undergraduate student body studying abroad during their sophomore, junior, or senior year.
Carlow University
Founded in 1929, Carlow University is a church-affiliated liberal arts college on a 14-acre campus in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Although it admits a small number of men, the University is primarily concerned with the education of women. Carlow consists of 1,300+ students—over 1,100 of whom are female—and offers a 10:1 student-faculty ratio as well as 40 areas of undergraduate study. The University’s Office of Equity and Inclusion offers diverse programming that includes listening sessions, training workshops on leadership and cultural responsiveness, peer and academic support, and much more.
College of Saint Benedict
Founded in 1913, the College of Saint Benedict is a church-affiliated liberal arts institution for women that maintains a unique relationship with Saint John's University for men. Saint Benedict’s 300-acre campus is located in St. Joseph, Minnesota—75 miles north of Minneapolis. CSB is the country’s only Benedictine college for women, with over 90% of graduates completing their degrees in four years. Between the two schools, you’ll find around 3,000 undergraduates (3.7% international and 17.6% US students of color), an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, 37 majors, and 40 minor programs.
Cottey College
Founded in 1884, Cottey College is a private liberal arts college for women on a 73-acre campus located in Nevada, Missouri. Cottey has a small undergraduate capacity of 350 students who typically represent 40 states, Canada, and 26 other countries—making for a small student-faculty ratio of 6:1. Instead of dorms, Cottey’s on-campus living features 10–12-person suites that have kitchenettes, single and double bedrooms, and living areas, providing a family-like atmosphere for students. The College also offers three associate degrees and 14 bachelor’s programs, many of which are also offered as minors.
Hollins University
Founded in 1842, Hollins University is an independent liberal arts university with a 475-acre campus in Roanoke, Virginia. Hollins offers undergraduate liberal arts education for women (including 29 majors, 30 majors, and 17 degree concentrations) and a January Short Term that lets students pursue internships, study abroad, or focus on a course or project. The undergraduate student body consists of more than 700 students (32% of whom are students of color), making for an 8:1 student-faculty ratio and an average class size of 12. In addition to NCAA Division III sports, the University has a nationally recognized riding program and is one of the top equestrian colleges in the country.
Meredith College
Founded in 1891, Meredith College
is a women’s liberal arts college on a 225-acre campus located in Raleigh, North Carolina—near the renowned Research Triangle Park. The College offers over 90 majors, minors, and concentrations to its student body of around 1,600 and also allows students to design their own majors. Undergrads also benefit from a low student-faculty ratio of 10:1 and an average class size of 14. Nearly 50% of students participate in undergraduate research, while everyone participates in StrongPoints®, a personal coaching and advising model found only at Meredith.
St. Catherine University
Founded in 1905, St. Catherine University
is a comprehensive liberal arts institution for women with a 110-acre campus in central St. Paul, Minnesota. St. Kate’s College for Women enrolls 1,400+ students (49% BIPOC and 35% first generation) and has a student-faculty ratio of 12:1, with 84% women faculty members. Undergraduates may pursue five associate degrees, 60+ bachelor’s degrees, and 50+ minors. As part of the University’s mission to “educate women to lead and influence,” the Women of Substance series draws inspiring speakers to The O’Shaughnessy performing arts venue on campus, including Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and singer and rapper Lizzo.
Want to learn more about these colleges and many more? Use our College Search tool to explore the full profiles of these and other great schools!
