Located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, Mount Holyoke College is a highly selective, nondenominational, residential, research liberal arts college for women. Mount Holyoke is renowned for educating women leaders, from medical pioneers to Pulitzer Prize–winning playwrights.
Our 2,210 students hail from 45 states and 69 countries. Twenty-seven percent of MHC students are international citizens. Twenty-six percent of domestic students identify as African American, Asian American, Latina, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or multiracial. Fifty-four percent of incoming first-year students were in the top 10 percent of their high school classes.
Six months after graduation, 96 percent of the class of 2017 were working or in school. Of those students, 21 percent were attending graduate/professional schools of their choice. Over 80 percent of MHC graduates enroll in graduate or professional school within 10 years of graduation.
Mount Holyoke prepares students for leadership on a global scale. Our graduates thrive in all fields, on all continents and in a dizzying array of languages. In 1837, we pioneered higher education for women. Today, in the 21st century, we continue to embolden students to break boundaries, shake off limits and take the lead.
Being ahead of the curve is our legacy and our calling card: We have remained a women’s college by choice — and, reflecting the College’s commitment to human rights and social justice, we welcome transgender students. We attract world-class faculty and students because we are different. Learning feels different here: It’s collaborative. It’s forward-thinking. It’s cognizant of the common good. It’s equal parts ambitious and audacious.
Research confirms more advantages too. A study by Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research compared the experiences of students at women’s colleges to those at coed institutions.Mount Holyoke is committed to the success of its students. To that end, we offer rigorous, innovative academics and maintain robust facilities. We develop experiential learning and facilitate (and fund) internships both in the community and across the globe. And we connect students with mentors and role models, through both our distinguished faculty and the College’s powerful network of nearly 38,000 living alumnae.
These are just some of the reasons why Mount Holyoke College stands out. Our graduates do the same. They stand up, stand out and stand together. They lead the way — in boardrooms, courtrooms, laboratories, halls of government, design studios and trading floors. Some make headlines; others head up change. All are prepared to make their voices and ideas heard.
All first-year applicants, including international students, are welcome to apply either Early Decision or Regular Decision. If you apply Early Decision I or II, the application deadlines are earlier but you’ll be notified of the College’s admission decision sooner.Non-native English speakers must provide evidence of their proficiency, usually by submitting TOEFL or IELTS results.
Transfer students add to the rich mix of student experience on campus and to the intellectual and social life of the College. Each year approximately 50 new transfers enroll at Mount Holyoke.Eligible candidates for transfer admission include students with strong academic records from two-year and community colleges, as well as from four-year colleges and universities. Because transfer students have different concerns from those of first-year students, specialized programs and services are provided as soon as you arrive on campus. During transfer orientation you'll meet other transfer students from around the country and the globe. Additionally, the coordinator of transfer affairs and the student admission board transfer coordinator will assist you in settling in at Mount Holyoke. Transfer students talk about why they came to Mount Holyoke and what they liked about it: the academic rigor, involved and passionate students, amazing professors, advisors they can talk to, and plenty of help getting credits transferred.
Mount Holyoke College is one of the most diverse liberal artscolleges in the United States with non-U. S. citizens comprising over twenty five percent of the student population. Our four hundred international students come to the College from more than 70 countries, bringing their experiences, talents, and perspectives to create powerful opportunities for learning and growth, both in the classroom and outside it.
Chemist and educator Mary Lyon founded Mount Holyoke College (then called Mount Holyoke Female Seminary) in 1837, nearly a century before women gained the right to vote. Today, her famous words—"Go where no one else will go, do what no one else will do"—continue to inspire Mount Holyoke students.
As the first of the Seven Sisters—the female equivalent of the once all-male Ivy League—Mount Holyoke has led the way in women's education. A model upon which many other women's colleges were patterned, it quickly became synonymous with brilliant teaching and academic excellence. In 1861 the three-year curriculum was expanded to four, and in 1893 the seminary curriculum was phased out and the institution's name was changed to Mount Holyoke College.
Throughout the 20th century, academic programs and physical facilities grew, with the 1960s witnessing the construction of many new academic buildings and residence halls. Mount Holyoke's reputation for excellence grew as well, with many of our notable alumnae breaking new ground in the sciences, the arts, and the women's movement.The Plan for Mount Holyoke 2021 outlines priorities for the College that both renew and reimagine our commitments to liberal learning, and the importance of both presence and place in the residential experience.
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The campus is lovely and the academics were challenging. It is however a very liberal school and I am very conservative. I have been pushed out of volunteer positions recently by a lesbian influence that discriminates against me.
By Alumna (Oct, 2013) |
The time I spent at MHC was nothing short of wonderful. The campus is beautiful, housing is excellent, food is delicious, and the Valley/ 5 college consortium is an amazing environment in which to live. Looking back I wish I had taken advantage of the opportunity to take classes through the other schools. However, as a student I was always able to take the classes I needed at MHC. Attending and graduating from MHC has, without a doubt, significantly contributed to my success post-graduation. I was offered my first job in an elite financial program because of MHC (the company only hires from mhc, smith, Wellesley, Vassar, Amherst, Brown, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Bowdoin). Additionally, admissions reps/ professors at all of the graduate schools I was I was accepted to (Harvard, Yale, U Chicago, and Princeton) mentioned how thrilled they were to see a mhc applicant.
By Marnie (Apr, 2011) |
Mount Holyoke College is a great school, especially for students who want to major in Politics, International Relations, or a related field since we have a very renowned department. Everyone here, no matter if staff or faculty, (or upperclasswomen, for that matter) are very friendly, helpful and approachable. There is a great sense of community on campus. There are NO sororities, which is a huge plus in my opinion. We are not a party school.
By Therese (Dec, 2009) |
The four years that I spent at MHC were some of the most delightful years of my life. Top caliber academics and devoted professors who care about their students made my years there an excellent preparation for Graduate School and life afterwards. The environment was sufficiently nurturing that I emerged from college with a strong sense of the validity of my point of view and excellent skills with which to express it. Over the yearws, I have had countless doors opened for me by virtue of my MHC degree.
By Melissa S (Oct, 2008) |
Mount Holyoke is wonderful. I love the academics and the social side of campus. My classes are wonderful, with professors who actually know their students and often invite class to their houses for dinner!
Students and professors are passionate about what they study and it certainly shows. I cannot imagine a better environment in which to learn. The diversity and friendliness of MHC is great. I am a junior and my friends have become like a wild and zany family. I cannot imagine a better environment in which to learn.
By Amber (Sep, 2008) |
My experience at Mount Holyoke was outstanding. I made lots of friends, learned a lot, and started a club. I found that it was great not having boys around (and I got a boyfriend at UMASS anyway). Mount Holyoke is full of intelligent and very friendly women- it was the perfect match for me.
By Erica Pfeife (Dec, 2007) |
This school is amazing, simply put. It's somewhere to get an outstanding education, you have so many helpful resources that you can turn to, the faculty and staff are wonderful, and the classes are interesting and challenging.
By Josie (BS Biology) (Sep, 2006) |
Now that I have been out 25 years, I realize how privileged I was to spend three years at MHC, and one in Paris. The quality of teaching, the dedication of staff and faculty, the support of friends and community, were exceptional. MHC is a place full of kind and BRILLIANT individuals - truly individuals - persons who follow their own path and are curious and respectful of alternate routes followed by others.
By Jenny (Sep, 2006) |
Mount Holyoke was a good experience for me. The classes were small, the professors very approachable, and the atmosphere was supportive of learning. The students were friendly, and I took several classes at other 5-College schools. I was at MHC for three years, and then was accepted at Columbia Law School. I was well-prepared for law school, and did quite well there as well. The alumnae network of "uncommon women" is quite strong, and is helpful in networking for jobs. I would recommend that if you want a supportive, serious environment of learning, that you consider Mount Holyoke.
By Valerie (Jan, 2006) |
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Mount Holyoke College has not only fostered my daughter's intellectual growth in Massachusetts but has also surrounded her with an incredibly dedicated staff that truly cares.
By Harish Srinivasan (Apr, 2024) |