Over the past several decades, the U.S. has seen the number of women's colleges decline from about 200 to the 60 we have today. A few women's colleges, however, haven't just survived in the country's changing educational landscape, but thrived. Radcliffe College may have been consumed by Harvard, but Barnard College has maintained a strong identity independent of Columbia University. Vassar College has gone co-educational, but all-female Wellesley College consistently places higher than them in national rankings of liberal arts colleges.
Even if you aren't considering a woman's college, take a look at these top women's colleges. What you find may surprise you. These aren't the finishing schools you may have heard your grandparents talking about. Each one of the colleges I've listed has excellent professors, a challenging student-centered curriculum, a remarkable campus, and an endowment between $150 million and $1.6 billion. If you're worried that a woman's college has limited social opportunities, you'll find that every one of these schools has cross-registration arrangements with nearby colleges and universities, and that the social scene is not confined to a single campus.
You can also check out the application essay that got Sophie into Smith College.
Bryn Mawr photo by thatpicturetaker / Flickr
Top College Lists:
For the first (but not last) time, the spotlight turns to one of the country's excellent women's colleges. Scripps College fosters a cooperative but rigorous learning environment for its 900 students. The quality of student life is far above average, and dorm living isn't your typical cubical environment. The Spanish-style residence halls have features such as balconies and inner courtyards, and the campus as a whole is on the National Register of Historic Places.