Women's colleges in the United States uniquely prepare women for success by offering a strong academic curriculum, professors who challenge them to excel and a network of graduates who assist them upon graduation and throughout their professional lives. Women's college graduates are well-prepared to attain top positions in their career fields, and higher salaries than women graduates of co-educational institutions.
Notable women's college graduates include Jeane Kirkpatrick, first female US ambassador to the United Nations (Stephens College); Madeleine Albright, the first female sectary of state in the United States (Wellesley College) and Geraldine Ferraro, first female US vice-presidential candidate (Marymount Manhattan College).
These women are among the fewer than 4% of college-educated women who graduated from a women's college. Although small in number, women's college graduates are influential as indicated by the following statistics from the Women's College Coalition:
Of 'Business Week' magazine's list of the top 50 women who are 'rising stars in corporate America', 30% earned a bachelor's degree from a women's college.
Of the 1992 'Fortune 1000' companies, one third of women board members are graduates of women's colleges.
Of 'Black Enterprise Magazine's 20 most powerful African-American women in corporate America, 20% are women's college graduates.
Undergraduate Programs
Women are earning an increasingly larger share of bachelor's degrees in business. In 1995, women earned 48% of undergraduate business degrees, compared to 9% in 1971.
Undergraduate business programs at women's colleges provide opportunities for women to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to succeed in the business world. High-quality programs are grounded in a liberal arts education, allowing students to adopt a broad perspective, think critically and creatively, use new technologies, interact with people from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds and refine their leadership skills. Courses explore topics of, by and about women.
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An important essay on women
Women have long made invaluable contributions to society and have proven themselves every bit as intelligent as men. As barriers continue to come down, the important contributions women will be able to make in the future will surpass what they have done in the past, and everyone benefits.
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