Mount Holyoke College

Mount Holyoke College is a private institution that was founded in 1837. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,193 (fall 2022), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 800 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Mount Holyoke College's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #34. Its tuition and fees are $64,142.

Mount Holyoke College was the first institution in the all-female Seven Sisters league. Today, Mount Holyoke women still receive a broad liberal arts education in the suburban setting of South Hadley, Mass., but have more opportunities to travel. Mount Holyoke is one of five colleges within 12 miles, and students can take courses and attend events at each. A free bus service transports students between Mount Holyoke, Amherst College, Hampshire College, Smith College and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Through the school’s membership in the Twelve College Exchange Program, Mount Holyoke women can study at one of 11 other schools, including Dartmouth College and Vassar College, for one or two semesters.

Unlike many other schools, Mount Holyoke does not require students to send in SAT scores when they apply. The school does not have a Greek system, but students can choose from more than 150 clubs and organizations. At Mount Holyoke, a residential college, all student must live on campus. Juniors and seniors with a compelling reason to move off campus must apply and be approved. One perk of life in the residence halls: Through a tradition known as Elfing, first-year students receive a week’s worth of gifts from an anonymous sophomore. More than 70 percent of students find employment on campus, and all freshmen who qualify for work study must work at least one shift in the dining halls. On the sports fields, the Mount Holyoke Lyons compete in the NCAA Division III New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference. The sports teams get their name from school founder Mary Lyon, and the mascot is a costumed lion named Paws. Mount Holyoke women can also get a workout outdoors, as the college is near to skiing, hiking and biking options. For a road trip, Boston is an hour and a half away by car.

There are multiple opportunities to gain real-world experience as a Mount Holyoke student. Students can complete internships in the summer or during January Term, a several-week break for students to get work experience, network or take a noncredit course. The school works in conjunction with Smith College to provide career fairs for students. At any time, Mount Holyoke students can peruse the online database of alumnae contact information for help or networking. Especially notable alumnae include poet Emily Dickinson, U.S. Representative Nita Lowey and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Mona Sutphen.