Women's Colleges vs Coeducational Universities: Outcomes and Who Thrives There
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 02, 2026 • US College Admissions
Only 31 women's colleges remain in the US as of fall 2022, down from about 230 in 1960, and enrollment at them dropped 40% between 1998 and 2022. They stay small and mostly private, which shapes who fits well there.
🎓 31 women's colleges left nationwide, down from roughly 230 in 1960.
📩 94% enroll fewer than 5,000 total students, far smaller than most public universities.
⏱️ Enrollment fell 40% from 1998 to 2022, a steeper drop than colleges overall.
🏠 Texas Woman's University is the only public women's college. All others are private.
A shrinking category
Women's colleges once numbered around 230 in 1960. By fall 2022, only 31 remained open and accredited in the United States, according to Pew Research Center's analysis of federal enrollment data. Between 1998 and 2022, four closed permanently, one merged into a coeducational university, and 28 went coed themselves.
Enrollment at the schools that remain single-sex also fell, dropping 40% from about 112,500 students in 1998 to about 67,300 in 2022. That decline accelerated in the most recent decade tracked, with an 18% drop from 2012 to 2022, compared with a 10% decline across all US colleges over the same years.
Where they are and how big
Massachusetts has the most women's colleges of any state, with five, followed by Georgia with four. Unlike HBCUs, which cluster heavily in the South, women's colleges spread more evenly across the country, though almost none are in western states. Two, Spelman College and Bennett College, are also HBCUs, serving Black women specifically.
Size sets women's colleges apart from most universities on a student's list. 94% enroll fewer than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students combined, closer to a small liberal arts college than a large public university. Nearly all are private, with Texas Woman's University standing as the only public women's college in the country. Men made up 12% of its enrollment in fall 2022, since some public women's colleges admit small numbers of men in specific programs while keeping a women's college identity.
What actually differs day to day
| Factor | Women's college | Coeducational university |
|---|---|---|
| Typical size | Small, under 5,000 students at 94% of them | Ranges small to very large |
| Ownership | Nearly all private | Public and private both common |
| Classroom gender mix | All or mostly women | Mixed |
| Program breadth | Narrower at most, given small size | Wider, especially at large publics |
Source: Pew Research Center , based on federal enrollment data.
Who tends to thrive at a women's college
Students who want small classes, close faculty relationships, and a campus culture built around women's leadership report the strongest fit at these schools. Because class sizes stay small by nature of overall enrollment, students get more direct interaction with professors than at a large lecture-hall university, and student government, clubs, and leadership positions go entirely to women rather than being contested across a much larger coed student body.
Students who want the widest possible range of majors, large-scale research facilities, Division I athletics, or a bigger social scene generally find those more available at large coeducational universities, simply due to size. Neither list of trade-offs is right or wrong. It depends on what a specific student wants out of the four years.
How to decide
Visit a women's college in session, not just on an open house weekend, to see daily classroom size and campus energy for yourself.
Check whether your intended major exists at the school. Smaller size means a narrower catalog at most women's colleges.
Ask about cross-registration or consortium agreements. Many women's colleges partner with nearby coed universities so students take some classes off campus.
Compare net price directly, since these schools are almost all private and their aid budgets vary widely.
Why they still exist
Women's colleges opened in the 19th and early 20th centuries specifically because most established universities refused to admit women at all. That founding purpose faded as coeducation became the norm almost everywhere, which explains most of the closures and conversions since the 1960s. The 31 schools that remain single-sex chose to keep that identity deliberately rather than by default, and many built their current pitch around the leadership and mentorship case rather than pure access.
Consortium access softens the size trade-off
Several women's colleges belong to a consortium with nearby coeducational schools, letting students cross-register for classes, share libraries, and join clubs across campuses. This structure lets a student get the smaller, single-sex classroom experience for a home-base identity while still reaching a wider course catalog and social scene through partner schools. Ask any women's college on your list directly whether it belongs to a consortium and how many students actually use the cross-registration option, since availability on paper does not always mean heavy use in practice.
This trade-off matters most for students choosing between a women's college and a large university mainly over program breadth. A strong consortium can close much of that gap without giving up the smaller-campus experience.
Financial aid works the same way
Women's colleges are private, so the same net price logic that applies to any private school applies here. Do not judge cost by sticker price alone. Run the net price calculator on each women's college you consider and compare the result to your public university options, since a well-endowed women's college can offer a stronger aid package than a public school where you do not qualify for grants.
Some women's colleges also carry a strong reputation for internal scholarship funding tied to specific majors, particularly STEM fields where they have worked deliberately to grow female enrollment. Ask the financial aid office directly which scholarships exist for your intended major before ruling a school out by list price.
Applying: what stays the same
The application process itself does not differ from any other private college. Most women's colleges accept the Common App, request the same recommendation letters and essays, and evaluate applicants on the same academic factors a coeducational private school would. The decision to add a women's college to your list is really a decision about environment and community, not a separate application track.
Visit if you can, sit in on a class, and eat in the dining hall during a normal week rather than only during an admitted-students event built to sell the school. The smaller size that defines this category shows up most clearly in ordinary daily life, not in a scripted tour.