About the College
Students come to Bryn Mawr in search of academic excellence and an education that enables them to turn their passion for learning into a life of purpose.
Since its founding in 1885, Bryn Mawr College has been the preeminent college for women interested in the pursuit of wisdom necessary to challenge the world's expectations. Our community has repeatedly broken barriers to achieve greater equity through exceptional academics and a deep dedication to learning. Our more than 35 undergraduate majors span the humanities, sciences, social sciences, and arts. Two co-educational graduate schools offer selective master’s and Ph.D. programs across the Arts, Sciences, and Social Work, and our Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program is one of the most successful in the nation for placing students into medical school. We are dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, which serve as the engine for excellence and innovation, helping us pave the way for gender equity and inspiring brilliant minds who find life-long community here.
Designated by the Carnegie Classifications as a Research College for our contributions to academic scholarship, Bryn Mawr was the first women’s college to offer graduate degrees, evidence of our lasting commitment to the power of rigorous academic training. Today, we remain devoted to multidisciplinary education and unique undergraduate research opportunities. Our more than 200 majority-female faculty engage our more than 1,700 total student scholars with a strong liberal arts academic approach, giving them the freedom to follow their curiosity while maintaining high standards of excellence. Faculty are prolific in their scholarly endeavors, ranked #1 in research expenditure and #3 in research out of nearly 200 liberal arts institutions by Washington Monthly magazine. As a top Fulbright-producing institution, Bryn Mawr is committed to supporting our students holistically and to women’s education and empowerment.
Our campus, with its pioneering American Collegiate Gothic architecture and picturesque landscape, is recognized as one of the most beautiful in the country and provides a secure space for community building through athletics, 130+ student clubs, the arts, cultural performances, and visiting speakers and scholars. The campus culture is motivated by individual self-discovery and collective uplifting. Students learn to raise their expectations, embrace their confidence, and build self-reliance while living with integrity. Ninety-nine percent of seniors go on to achieve positive career outcomes within one year of graduation.
Bryn Mawr students graduate as self-reliant leaders filled with purpose. Our 25,000+ strong alumnae/i network includes Nobel laureates; university presidents; leaders in government, social justice, and industry; groundbreaking scientists; and renowned scholars across various fields, including STEM and the humanities. Motivated to lead by example, our graduates never settle for what’s now but push for what’s next—always taking joy in the personal fulfillment and success that lifelong learning brings.
