Considering A Women's College

Bay Path College, Massachusetts

Considering A Women's College

"Coming to Bay Path helped me appreciate the friendship of women....
I’ve developed a sense of confidence that is going to help me in my career."

Young women around the world are curious about the excellent all-women’s colleges in the United States. Female students should consider this fulfilling option as they plan their studies.

Women’s colleges in the U.S.A.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, colleges and universities in the U.S.A. were predominantly single-sex institutions, and the majority were for men only. By 1930 this had changed to an equal number of male and female single-sex institutions, but by then the majority of colleges overall were coeducational.

Now, although very few colleges for men remain, there are approximately 65 women’s colleges. These include institutions that are public, private, church-related and independent and that offer Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees.

Quality education at a U.S. women’s college

Graduates of women’s colleges in the United States are not only very well prepared for further studies, but also take pride in the fact that a higher percentage end up in leadership positions in their communities and careers than women who attend coeducational institutions.

Women’s colleges are recognized widely for their academic quality and for offering innovative fields of studies.

They offer a variety of academic fields and prepare students for occupations that go beyond traditional women’s careers. In the nineteenth century almost all of the women scientists in the United States were educated at women’s colleges, and recently the majority have been as well.

Career-oriented Bay Path College in western Massachusetts emphasizes leadership, communication and technology. Newest majors are forensic science and biotechnology.

In fact, leadership training is integrated into the curriculum at Bay Path, where all students are expected to take the course, “First Year Experience: Leadership Seminar.” Building from a base of leadership theory, the young women examine the lives of past and current leaders, and participate in self-assessment exercises that exercise their new leadership skills.

As a Bay Path senior recently said, “Coming to Bay Path helped me appreciate the friendship of women... I’ve developed a sense of confidence that is going to help me in my career.”

Chatham College in Pittsburgh is one of the nation’s oldest colleges still awarding undergraduate degrees solely to women.

Service learning to encourage social responsibility is emphasized in the Chatham curriculum and in many campus activities and volunteer jobs.
Along with nearby Carnegie Mellon University’s H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy, Chatham offers a dual degree program, allowing undergraduate students to begin a master’s degree during their senior year.

Why consider a women’s college?

U.S. women’s colleges typically provide a supportive institutional environment, intellectual challenge from faculty, and female role models. Students experience fewer distractions and develop greater social self-confidence, which leads to more successful lives and careers.

Is this a good choice for international students?

For international students, women’s colleges typically provide an intellectually stimulating and emotionally supportive environment. Students not only meet and befriend other women from all over the world, but also frequently become future leaders in community, national, and international associations.

International graduates of U.S. women’s colleges are among the strongest advocates for their experience. They cite the respect given to them for their cultural traditions, the attention paid to supporting their classroom work and extracurricular experiences, the female faculty role models who encouraged and challenged them to excel, and the close community of colleagues and friends they keep for the rest of their lives.

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