Have you ever heard of the “Seven Sisters” colleges? No, it’s not a secret society, but a fascinating group of institutions that played a huge role in women’s education in America!
Back in the 19th and early 20th centuries, most top universities like the Ivy League only admitted men. But brilliant, ambitious young women deserved the same quality of education, right? Absolutely! So, these trailblazing women’s colleges were founded as the academic equals to the all-male Ivy League schools.
The Seven Sisters are: Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. Founded between 1837 and 1889, these schools aimed to provide women with a rigorous liberal arts education.
Why “Seven Sisters”? This evocative name is a direct reference to the Pleiades, a cluster of seven stars in the constellation Taurus, named after the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione in Greek mythology. The name was adopted in 1926, symbolizing the alliance and shared mission of these institutions.
While Vassar became coeducational in 1969 and Radcliffe merged with Harvard in 1999, the remaining five—Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Wellesley—continue their legacy as women’s colleges, upholding a tradition of academic excellence and empowering women. They’re still some of the highest-ranking liberal arts institutions in the country!