Michael Brooks
Women have had a long and difficult history with higher education. In medieval Europe, universities were meant for men as women could not become priests, lawyers, or physicians. In the mid-1800s, most colleges in the U.S. only enrolled men. Women who sought a college degree turned to women's colleges, which offered a pathway to a college education. The first women's colleges were founded by women's religious orders and offered religious curricula. From 1900 to 1930, 19 new Catholic women's colleges opened their doors. However, even in the 1960s, many Ivy League institutions still refused to admit women. In the context of this history, when did Catholic University allow women undergraduate students?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the Catholic University | Catholic University of America |
| Year of Incorporation | 1887 |
| Year of Opening | 1889 |
| Year of Starting Undergraduate Program | 1904 |
| Year of First Women Students | 1927 |
| Name of the First Woman Student | Florence McGuire |
| Degree Pursued by the First Woman Student | Masters in Greek and Latin |
| Year of Opening Undergraduate Admission for Women | 1932 |
| Number of Women's Colleges in the U.S. in the 1960s | 230 |
| Number of Women's Colleges in the U.S. in 1986 | 107 |
| Number of Women's Colleges in the U.S. in 2020 | Less than 40 |
| Number of Catholic Women's Colleges in the U.S. | 13 |
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What You'll Learn
Women's colleges in the US
Women have not always been allowed to pursue undergraduate degrees. In medieval Europe, universities were meant for men, as women could not become priests, lawyers, or physicians. In 1672, Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia enrolled at the University of Padua to study theology, but the Catholic Church barred her from graduating. In the United States, the first college, Harvard College, was established in 1636 and educated only white men for the next 300 years. During that time, women faced significant opposition as they fought for access to higher education.
In the 1800s, women's colleges began to emerge in the United States, providing academic programmes equivalent to those of men's colleges. These institutions played a crucial role in advancing women's education and empowering women to pursue higher education. Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, founded in 1837, was the first real college for women. Other notable early women's colleges include Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (founded in 1840 as an academy and later became a college), Vassar College (chartered in 1861), and Bryn Mawr College (founded in 1885).
By the 1960s, there were 281 women's colleges in the United States, but that number has since decreased significantly. The transition to coeducation at some women's colleges, such as Radcliffe College (which merged with Harvard University), contributed to this decline. Today, there are approximately 26 active women's colleges in the United States, offering a range of academic programmes and support systems to empower women and advance their education and careers.
The Catholic University of America has a complex history regarding the admission of women. While it was founded in 1887 and began offering undergraduate programmes in 1904, it faced pressure to admit women as early as 1895. In 1927, Florence McGuire became the first laywoman to enrol as a full student, and in 1928, Rector John H. Ryan granted admission to all religious sisters. However, undergraduate admission for laywomen remained a challenge, and it wasn't until 1932, with the establishment of the School of Nursing, that a large cohort of lay women were permitted into undergraduate classes.
Today, most colleges and universities in the United States enrol women, except for a small number of private, all-male institutions. Women's colleges in the United States offer a range of benefits, including personalized class sizes, mentorship programs, strong alumnae networks, and dedicated career services. They play a crucial role in empowering women to pursue leadership roles and achieve their academic and professional goals.
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The Catholic University of America's history
The Catholic University of America has a long and complex history when it comes to admitting women as undergraduate students. The university was incorporated in 1887 and opened in 1889, with a curriculum consisting of lectures in mental and moral philosophy, English literature, sacred scriptures, and theology. At the time, most colleges in the U.S. only enrolled male students, and women were largely barred from higher education, particularly in medieval Europe where universities in Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, and Bologna flourished.
In 1895, during the inauguration of McMahon Hall, Rector John J. Keane acknowledged the desire of women to pursue higher education, stating that the university would gladly educate women if it were within their power to do so. This sentiment was echoed by Archbishop Michael Curley in 1924, who pleaded for the admission of women to Catholic University. Despite this support, it wasn't until 1927 that Florence McGuire became the first laywoman to be registered as a full student at the university, earning a Master's degree in Greek and Latin.
In 1928, Rector John H. Ryan granted admission to all religious sisters, and the Board of Trustees opened the university's graduate programs to all women, regardless of their religious affiliation. However, undergraduate admission for women remained a contentious issue. It wasn't until 1932, with the establishment of the School of Nursing on campus, that a significant number of lay women were permitted to enroll in undergraduate classes outside of the nursing program.
While the exact date of when Catholic University allowed women as undergraduate students is unclear, it is evident that the university gradually transitioned towards coeducation in the early 20th century, with women gaining access to graduate programs before being fully admitted to undergraduate courses.
Today, the Catholic University of America offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs to students of diverse backgrounds, continuing its mission to strengthen and enrich Catholicism through education.
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Women in higher education
The first colleges in the United States also only enrolled men. For example, Harvard College, established in 1636, admitted only white men from prominent families for about 300 years. However, women were determined to secure a place in higher education. In 1672, Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia enrolled at the University of Padua to study theology, excelling in her coursework and even in a public debate against three male intellectuals. However, when she applied for her degree, the Catholic Church intervened, declaring that women should not earn theology degrees, barring Piscopia from graduating. Thanks to her allies' advocacy, she eventually received a Ph.D., becoming the first woman to do so.
In the 19th century, women's colleges emerged as a response to the male-only admissions policies of most colleges. These women's colleges provided a pathway to a college degree for many American women. Some of the earliest women's colleges include Ursuline Academy, founded in 1727 as the oldest Catholic school and the oldest school for women in the United States; Bethlehem Female Seminary (now Moravian University), established in 1742 as the second girls' school; and Salem College in North Carolina, founded in 1772 as the Little Girls' School and later renamed the Salem Female Academy. It is the oldest women's educational institution that has been in continuous operation. The Young Ladies' Academy of Philadelphia, established in 1787, was the first government-recognized institution for women's higher education in the country.
Despite the existence of women's colleges, women continued to push for admission to traditionally male-only colleges. In the 1870s, Cornell became the first Ivy League institution to admit female undergraduates. During the same decade, the University of Edinburgh faced a similar situation when seven women, known as the "Edinburgh Seven," spent years studying medicine at the university. Despite their dedication, the university refused to grant them medical degrees. The women faced opposition from professors who refused to teach them and male students who rioted during their exams. Eventually, several of these women pursued their medical careers abroad.
The fight for inclusion in higher education was not easy, and women faced intense scrutiny and pushback from male classmates, administrators, and others who wanted to uphold traditional gender roles. As a compromise, some universities created separate institutions for women, such as Radcliffe College, established by Harvard in the 1890s, where women could study under Harvard professors but were not granted the same status as Harvard undergraduates.
It is important to acknowledge that the timeline of women's inclusion in higher education varies across different types of institutions. For example, Catholic universities had their own journey towards admitting female students. The Catholic University of America, for instance, began considering admitting women during the inauguration of McMahon Hall in 1895. However, it was not until 1927 that Florence McGuire became the first laywoman to be registered as a full student, earning a Master's degree in Greek and Latin. In 1928, Rector John H. Ryan granted admission to all religious sisters, and the Board of Trustees opened the University's graduate programs to all women. Nonetheless, undergraduate admission for laywomen remained a challenge. It was not until 1932, with the establishment of the School of Nursing on campus, that a significant number of laywomen were permitted to enroll in undergraduate classes outside of the nursing program.
Today, most colleges and universities enroll women, and women make up the majority of bachelor's degree holders. While there are still a small number of private, all-male institutions, women's colleges continue to thrive and provide supportive and inclusive environments focused on empowering women's education.
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The Catholic Church's stance
However, there were also instances of the Church supporting women's education. In the 19th century, as more women sought access to higher education, Catholic women's colleges began to emerge. Ursuline Academy, the oldest Catholic school and the oldest school for women in the United States, was founded in 1727 and provided education for girls. The Church also established colleges specifically for Catholic women, such as Trinity College in 1897 and Catholic Sisters College in 1911. These colleges ensured that women could receive a Catholic education even if they could not enrol in mainstream universities.
In the early 20th century, some Catholic universities began to admit women. For example, in 1927, Florence McGuire became the first laywoman to enrol as a full student at Catholic University, and in 1928, Rector John H. Ryan granted admission to all religious sisters. However, even as late as the 1950s, major Catholic universities like Notre Dame and Catholic University did not accept female applicants.
Today, most colleges and universities enrol women, and many Catholic colleges and universities in the United States have become coeducational, although a small number of private, all-male institutions remain. There are still a handful of Catholic women's colleges, such as Saint Mary's College, that focus on providing a supportive and inclusive environment for women's education. These colleges continue to play an essential role in promoting equity for women and combating gender discrimination.
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Coeducation and separate institutions
For centuries, women faced significant barriers to accessing higher education, with universities in medieval Europe exclusively admitting men. Theology, the highest-status degree at the time, was off-limits to women as they could not become priests. Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, who enrolled at the University of Padua in 1672 to study theology, was barred from graduating by the Catholic Church, which declared that women should not earn theology degrees.
In the mid-1800s, most colleges in the U.S. only enrolled men, and the first American college, Harvard, admitted only white men from prominent families for nearly three centuries. However, women gradually made inroads into higher education, with the University of Padua ultimately awarding Piscopia a Ph.D. Sarah Jane Woodson Early becoming the first Black woman to attend college and later the first Black college professor. In the 1870s, Cornell became the first Ivy League institution to admit female undergraduates, while the University of Edinburgh's medical school had female students in the same decade, albeit facing strong opposition from professors and male students.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the founding of numerous Catholic women's colleges in the U.S., such as Ursuline Academy, Bethlehem Female Seminary, Salem College, and Bryn Mawr College. These colleges provided women with access to higher education and empowered them to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees. By the 1960s, however, many Ivy League institutions still refused to admit women, and the number of women-only colleges began to decline.
The Catholic University of America, specifically, had a complex history regarding the admission of women. While female students from affiliated institutions like the National Catholic School of Social Service took courses at the university, they were not officially enrolled or granted degrees. In 1927, Florence McGuire became the first laywoman to be registered as a full student at the university, and in 1928, Rector John H. Ryan granted admission to all religious sisters. However, undergraduate admission for women remained a contentious issue. The establishment of the School of Nursing on campus in 1932 further challenged the university's stance, as lay women now required access to undergraduate classes outside of the nursing program.
Today, most colleges and universities enroll women, and women make up the majority of undergraduates. While separate women's colleges continue to exist, they are far fewer in number than in the past. Some Catholic women's colleges have transitioned to coeducation, such as College of Saint Elizabeth, which became coeducational in 2020. A small number of private, all-male institutions remain, and some Catholic women's colleges have expanded their admissions policies to include transgender and non-binary students.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic University of America began allowing women to enrol in undergraduate classes in 1932, when the School of Nursing was established on campus.
No, it was not. In medieval Europe, universities were meant for men as women could not become priests, lawyers, or physicians. Women have faced barriers to accessing higher education for centuries. However, in 1672, Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia enrolled at the University of Padua to study theology. She was barred from graduating by the Catholic Church, but her allies helped her receive a Ph.D.
The Ursuline Academy, founded in 1727, is the oldest Catholic school and the oldest school for women in the United States. It now provides primary and secondary education for girls.
Here is a list of some Catholic women's colleges in the United States:
- College of Saint Benedict (partnered with the all-male Saint John's University since 1955)
- Saint Joseph's College of Maine (became coeducational in 1970)
- College of Saint Elizabeth (became coeducational in 2020)
- College of Notre Dame of Maryland (the first Catholic women's college in the U.S.)
- Alverno College
- Mount Mary University
Today, most colleges and universities enrol women, except for a small number of private, all-male institutions. Women now make up the majority of bachelor's degree holders, and women's colleges continue to offer supportive and inclusive environments focused on women's education.
