Women’s college alumnae affirm that their education was a good investment
Slide from the Hardwick-Day Alumnae Survey.

Women’s college alumnae affirm that their education was a good investment

By Julie Michener
June 23, 2008

Graduates of women’s colleges are more likely than alumnae of public universities or liberal arts colleges to report that their financial investment in college was worth it – whether they went directly into the workforce or into graduate school, said the survey of women’s college alumnae by the Women’s College Coalition.

The Hardwick-Day Alumnae Survey compared alumnae graduating from women’s colleges between 1970 and 2002 with women graduating during the same period from liberal arts colleges and flagship public universities.

The study shows that women’s colleges help women unlock their leadership potential, develop critical thinking, communication and work skills, and gain access to high-quality faculty and facilities.

Women’s college alumnae also appear more likely to complete a graduate degree – 53 percent compared with 38 percent of liberal arts graduates and 28 percent of public university alumnae. Inside Higher Ed has the national take on this story.

That is good news for the College of St. Catherine, the nation’s largest college for women, which vies annually with Smith College in Massachusetts for that distinction. St. Kate’s has 2,030 students in its baccalaureate day program and 886 students in Weekend College, which awards baccalaureate degrees in a nontraditional format.

Reputation also is a compelling benefit. Women’s college alumnae are more likely than university and liberal arts alumnae to say they benefited from a strong overall academic reputation and a strong reputation in their academic major.

The College of St. Catherine enjoys a solid reputation among employers and other academic institutions nationwide.


“At St. Kate’s students receive a sound liberal arts base, and employers tell us that’s what is so valuable about our graduates,” said Colleen Hegranes, senior vice president at the College of St. Catherine. “Our reputation for academic excellence and producing leaders is incontrovertible.”

St. Catherine’s was recognized for its academic excellence with a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in 1937, the first Catholic college in the nation to be accorded that honor. The ability to think critically, view issues through a global lens, communicate well and work collaboratively are key objectives of a St. Kate’s education.

“I tell students, parents and outside groups that when you come to the College of St. Catherine, faculty will get to know you and challenge you,” Hegranes said, “maybe more than you think you’re capable of. But you can also count on them to support you in meeting those challenges. Faculty mentor students in research projects and advise them on internships in their chosen field to help them grow as leaders.”

Chemistry seniors have gone on to graduate programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cal-Tech and Berkley, according to St. Kate’s Chemistry Department Chair Gina Mancini-Samuelson. “We also have undergrad students doing summer research projects at Stanford, 3M and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute,” she said. “Typically graduates of our program either go to a graduate school, a health-sciences graduate program or out into the workforce.”

“The supportive environment with faculty and staff who really cared about your personal development helped me understand what opportunities were available,” said Pamela Wheelock ’81, chief financial officer, Minnesota Sports and Entertainment and chair of the Board of Trustees at the College. “To be able to see so many female role models, confident senior executives, was a great experience for me.”

High-quality faculty
The Hardwick-Day data show that 83 percent of women’s college alumnae agreed that faculty challenged them academically but also helped them achieve success. Alumnae also reported that a majority of classes were taught by professors and that they had conversations with them outside of class. In addition, 81 percent of women’s college alumnae said they found a mentor in college compared with only 55 percent of flagship public university alumnae.



Supporting student growth
The survey also found that women’s colleges more effectively helped students develop self-confidence and initiative, better integrated values and ethics in classroom discussions and included classes that include the perspectives of women and minorities. It also showed women’s colleges to be more effective in helping students place problems in social and historical perspective.

At St. Kate’s, ethics has been a central component of the College of St. Catherine’s curriculum and educational experience since the College was founded in 1905.



Campus community
Women’s colleges’ alumnae are more likely to have felt a sense of community among students and are more likely to say that friendships developed from classroom experiences, the survey said.

Facilities and campus safety
Academic facilities and equipment and the opportunity to use them were also benefits highly rated by women’s college alumnae. Fifty-four percent of alumnae said they benefited compared with 31 percent of alumnae from flagship public universities and 41 percent of liberal arts college alumnae. In addition, they reported that they benefited from a safe campus environment.

Since 2001, St. Kate’s has invested more than $45 million to build new and renovate current facilities including:

Poised to mark her 10th anniversary as president of the College of St. Catherine, Andrea J. Lee, IHM, affirms St. Kate’s commitment to women.

“We are not apologizing and we are not wavering,” said Lee of the college’s commitment to its women-only undergraduate programs. “This is not about exclusion – it is about our focus on the mission and the passion that built St. Kate’s.”

Contact Julie Michener, (651) 690-6521

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