Campus
Bryn Mawr's campus, long recognized as one of the most beautiful in the country, is set in a century-old, varied suburb that is 11 miles west of Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city. The majestic stone buildings that anchor the campus were the first examples of a style of architecture that came to be known as Collegiate Gothic, and they served as templates for dozens of other campuses. Today the campus includes 40 buildings on 135 acres. Got five minutes? Take a roller-coaster video tour of the campus with student guides.
Libraries
Because Bryn Mawr values independent research so highly—and because it supports several small graduate programs—the College's libraries are unusually comprehensive. Together, the College's collections contain more than 1 million volumes, in addition to an expansive collection of journals, books and research materials in electronic form, and a rich array of rare books and manuscripts. Bryn Mawr students also enjoy borrowing privileges at the other libraries in the Tri-College system—a collection that includes nearly 2.5 million volumes, comparable in size to the libraries at many research universities.
Housing
Nearly all of the 1,300 undergraduates at Bryn Mawr live on campus, in one of 15 residence halls. Students typically live in single rooms connected by a common area.Many rooms feature decorative fireplaces, inviting window seats, and hardwood floors. Special housing arrangements include Batten House, an environmental co-op; Haffner Hall, a residence offering exposure to foreign languages and cultures; and Perry House, Bryn Mawr's African-American Cultural Center. Bryn Mawr regularly turns up on the Princeton Review's list of school that have "dorms like palaces."
Dining
It's a rare year when Bryn Mawr doesn't win a gold medal in the National Association of College and University Food Services' Loyal Horton awards contest, and the Princeton Review regularly cites Bryn Mawr in the top five of its "great food" list. BMCDS is exceptionally responsive to students' preferences and concerns, and student advisory groups have helped the service introduce numerous innovations and improvements. Each of the three dining halls on campus offers vegan and vegetarian menu options, with special attention to vegan dining at Haffner Hall.