Meredith College has been educating women for more than a century. New research shows that women’s colleges offer unique benefits surpassing those reaped by female graduates of both flagship public institutions and coeducational liberal arts colleges. Findings of the survey suggest that:

• Women’s colleges do a better job of preparing women to be effective leaders and communicators;
• Alumnae of women’s colleges develop stronger critical thinking, presentation and writing skills;
• Women’s college alumnae benefited from things like small classes, personal interaction with faculty, and were most likely to graduate in four years or less;
• Women’s college alumnae felt better prepared for their first jobs as well as career advancement and were more likely than any other alumnae to complete a graduate degree.

The new research suggests that there really is something distinctive happening for women at single-sex institutions. As Maureen Hartford, President of Meredith College, said in an article that appeared in The News and Observer: “. . . this is a place that does understand how women learn and how that may be different than how men learn.”

The Women’s College Coalition study confirms data from other surveys, but it’s particularly meaningful because it distinguishes alumnae of women’s colleges from those who attended co-educational liberal arts schools.

This survey provides important evidence that affirms the importance of women’s institutions. One 2008 graduate put it this way: “Meredith College is invested in the advancement of women. Meredith strives for women to excel and empowers us to overcome the challenges we face as women.”