Top Women’s Colleges in the World
We can find outstanding instances of powerful, successful women throughout the world’s higher education system. Whether it’s political figures like the prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, or the president of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan; athletes like the Dutchwoman, Vivianne Miedema, or the Nigerian, Asisat Oshoala; authors like Toni Morrison and Doris Lessing; or even Nobel laureates like Malala Yousafzai and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
These ladies come from various regions of the world and have each used their particular experiences to make a difference in the world in a different way.
Although many of these women studied at prestigious institutions like Oxford, the University of Manchester, Harvard, and Howard University, co-ed colleges have not always been an option for women around the world. The first women’s colleges were established shortly after the first secondary, or high schools, for women were established at the beginning of the 19th century. In this article, you’ll know the benefits of attending women’s colleges and the top women’s colleges in the world.
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A brief history of Women’s Colleges
When efforts were made to increase the educational options for women, women’s colleges were established in the nineteenth century. Young women who wished to pursue higher education faced a glass ceiling because universities did not admit women. In the nineteenth century, many women’s colleges were founded by private foundations or through religious organizations (notably the Catholic Church in the Gender Equality in the Gender Equality in the United States of America of America).
A kind of “sister” system known as “coordinate colleges” was developed by established institutions in the United States towards the end of the nineteenth century. Barnard (with Columbia University), Pembroke (with Brown University), and Radcliffe College (with Harvard University) were notable coordination colleges in the nineteenth century.
Many of these women’s universities eventually merged with nearby male counterparts to form single entities as time went on (much like Radcliffe College and Harvard University). Some women’s institutions, on the other hand, have maintained their independence and continue to serve only women.
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Benefits of Women’s Colleges
1. Access and Equity
Women’s colleges are still motivated by the goal to remove obstacles that keep women out of traditionally masculine academic and professional professions. They give women the chance to pursue an education on par with men’s in a setting devoid of discrimination on the basis of gender.
2. Affordability
Affordability is a crucial component of fair access to education. The following are some examples of how women’s institutions show their dedication to providing inexpensive education, according to statistics from the Women’s College Coalition, a group whose members support the development of the next generation of women leaders:
- A full 94% of first-year students enrolled full-time get financial aid.
- 48 percent of these students qualify for Pell Grants.
- Average annual financial aid to students exceeds $15,000.
Women’s colleges aspire to provide accepting environments for women of all races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations — spaces where individual potential can bloom — in keeping with their long-standing objective to reject antiquated gender standards.
3. Making a Community Sense
When instruction is student-centered, a pedagogical approach that is prominently featured at women’s institutions, female students do academically well.
Additionally, women’s universities often have smaller class numbers so that students can receive more individualized attention from professors and opportunities to actively work with colleagues on projects with practical application. This close-knit connection and support can promote a number of advantages, including:
- Lasting relationships between classmates after graduation
- Student and faculty support networks to undergraduate education
4. Enhancing Career Preparation
In contrast to 65% of graduates from public universities, 81% of women’s college graduates believed that their education had prepared them very or extremely well for the workforce, according to a survey published by the Women’s College Coalition. In addition, compared to 27% of graduates from public universities, 51% of women who completed college went on to get a graduate degree.
Top Women’s Colleges in the World
The USA is home to the majority of top women’s colleges in the world. There are still close to 40 of these renowned colleges scattered across the nation. These are the surviving institutions out of the over 150 formed in the 19th century; several have switched to coeducational status or been absorbed by colleges for men. Here, we’ll quickly review Barnard, Scripps, Smith, Spelman, and Wellesley, five prominent women’s institutions.
USA’s Top 5 Women’s Colleges
1. Barnard College
One of the four undergraduate Ivy League institutions at Columbia University, Barnard College is situated in the Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Due to Columbia’s policy of only admitting men, which persisted until 1989, Barnard was established. The college has a number of intriguing features that set it apart from other colleges because of its connection to Columbia, one of which is that it is the only women’s college to provide Division I athletic opportunities because to its collaboration with Columbia.
It was also a founding member of the Seven Sisters, a group of seven esteemed and competitive liberal arts colleges in the northeastern United States, five of which are still in operation as women’s colleges today. In addition to taking classes at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music, Barnard students can take classes at Columbia and acquire degrees from that institution (signed by the presidents of both Barnard and Columbia). Martha Stewart, Ntozake Shange, and Margaret Mead are among the alumni of Barnard.
2. Scripps College
One of the “Five C’s,” or the five Claremont Colleges in California, Scripps College is the only one that is solely a women’s institution. Since its founding in 1926, Scripps has continuously achieved outstanding academic outcomes, earning it recognition as the top women’s university in the American West.
Top Women’s Colleges in the World
Because Scripps has a tiny student body, its athletes compete on teams against those from Harvey Mudd and Claremont College, two other Claremont Colleges. Scripps is a top choice for many students wishing to attend a women’s college because of its lovely Californian climate, and the university is a notable producer of Fulbright scholars.
3. Smith College – Northampton, Massachusetts
The oldest of the Seven Sisters, Smith College was founded in 1871 and is the largest institution. It is renowned for having a politically engaged student body that frequently leads national progressive campaigns.
Smith is a member of the Five College Consortium, which allows students to enroll in courses at any of the other four participating institutions. Smith also provides graduate degrees, which is uncommon for women’s colleges. In addition, Smith was the first women’s institution to join the NCAA. It has produced a number of well-known alumni, including Gloria Steinem and Sylvia Plath, both of whom served as First Ladies of the United States.
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4. Spelman College – Atlanta Ga
In Atlanta, Georgia, Spelman College, a historically black women’s college, was established as a seminary in 1881 and obtained its college charter in 1924. Spelman is a member of the Atlanta University Center Consortium, a grouping of four HBCUs in Atlanta, and serves as a sister institution to Morehouse College, a nearby historically black men’s college.
As a historically black college or university (HBCU), Spelman made a significant contribution to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and continues to turn forth strong, progressive political figures and activists like Stacey Abrams and creatives like Alice Walker.
5 Wellesley College – Massachusetts
Last but not least, Wellesley College in Massachusetts was established in 1870 and is frequently ranked as one of the best liberal arts universities in the country. Wellesley, one of the most well-known universities in the country, belongs to the illustrious Seven Sisters and has the highest endowment of all women’s institutions.
Numerous well-known alumni, including Madeleine Albright and Hilary Clinton, have graduated from the school that served as the backdrop for the 2003 movie Mona Lisa Smile. Wellesley stands out as a unique college in the Northeast, where a heritage of elite academic institutions helps it stand out on a national level, too, with small class numbers and a demanding admissions procedure.
Top Women’s Colleges in UK
The majority of women’s colleges in the UK have been absorbed into already-established institutions like Oxford University and the University of Durham. Though several have only recently changed their status, these colleges currently exist as constituent colleges of these larger institutions. For instance, St. Hilda’s College, the final constituent college to be entirely for women, continued to be a women-only institution until 2008. Now, about equal numbers of men and women are enrolled in the college’s undergraduate and graduate programs. Murray Edwards College and Newnham College are the only two women’s colleges that remain at Cambridge University. While solely women live there, both allow men to teach.
Top women’s colleges in UK include:
- Murray Edwards College – University of Cambridge
- Newnham College – Cambridge University’s
Asian Women’s Colleges
Although the majority of women’s colleges worldwide are located in the United States, there are many other countries that have a strong network of women’s institutions. There are numerous women’s colleges, for instance, in India and South Korea, including Bethune College in Kolkata and Duksung Women’s University in Seoul. In addition, Bethune was the first women’s college in South East Asia. Famous graduates at Bethune include Begum Khaleda Zia, the first female prime minister of Bangladesh, and mathematician Neena Gupta.
Top Women’s Colleges in Asia:
- Bethune College – India
- Duksung Women’s University – South Korea
- Ewha Womans University – South Korea
- Pakistan’s Fatima Jinnah Women’s University
- China’s Ginling College
- Hunan Women’s University – China
- Japan College for women
- Lady Shri Ram College – India
- Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University – Saudi Arabia
- Tsuda University – Japan
- Box Hill University – Kuwait
Women’s Colleges FAQs
What is the purpose of Women’s Colleges?
A women's college offers a variety of advantages. Small class numbers offer the chance for specific faculty attention and mentorship in addition to being intellectually demanding, and a warm, accepting community of like-minded people builds a network of lifelong friendships and support.
In America, how many women’s colleges are there?
These are American higher education schools with a student body that is entirely, or nearly entirely, made up of women. Frequently, they are liberal arts colleges. In the United States, there are about 35 active women's colleges.
Do women’s Colleges merit the cost?
Compared to alumni of co-ed institutions, all-female college graduates are better equipped for their first post-college jobs (81 percent to 61 percent). Women's college graduates are nearly twice as likely to complete a graduate degree as alumni from public universities.
Do women earn higher grades?
Girls are more disciplined about their schoolwork than boys are, and as a result, they study harder and earn higher grades from elementary school through college. Academically, girls consistently outperform boys. And yet, in the largest public companies, men hold a startling 95% of the top positions.
Final Words on Women’s Colleges
Are you trying to choose a college where you can fit in? Through application guidance, World Scholarship Vault can assist you in creating a list of universities that best match your needs and your admissions profile. No matter where it is, we can assist you in finding the college you were meant to attend.
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