Lesley University

At Lesley, you’ll discover bold ideas about what a university can be. A community of scholars committed to helping others.A laboratory for tackling issues of social justice. And a place where creativity and imagination thrive.

For over 100 years, the Lesley community has embraced Edith Lesley’s inspirational talent for identifying a need or an opportunity, and her passion for crafting something new in response. This vision and history serves as the cornerstone for Lesley University, as we plan together for our future.Our leadership team is committed to the success of every student.They make sure that our academic programs meet the highest standards.

We serve about 2,500 undergraduates and close to 5,000 graduate students who are discovering fresh answers to the world’s problems.

Founder Edith Lesley blazed a trail for generations of educators. Today, we prepare students for meaningful careers as teachers, counselors, artists, entrepreneurs, and more.In 1909, Edith Lesley began a school to train teachers. Her progressive ideas paved the way for Lesley University, and her legacy inspires our mission today.

Lesley University engages students in transformative education through active learning, scholarly research, diverse forms of artistic expression, and the integration of rigorous academics with practical, professional experience, leading to meaningful careers and continuing lifelong learning. Lesley prepares socially responsible graduates with the knowledge, skills, understanding, and ethical judgment to be catalysts shaping a more just, humane, and sustainable world.

Lesley University is devoted to academic excellence through active teaching, engaged learning, and individual student development. We design and deliver innovative, interdisciplinary academic programs that value inspired teachers, curious learners, relevant scholarship, and real-life application.

Our community respects, values, and benefits from the individual, demographic, and cultural differences of our students, faculty, and staff. As an academic community, our creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving approaches are shaped by this diversity. Through their varied learning experiences, Lesley students develop the tools to effectively interact with diverse populations and strive for social justice and equity.

Learning is an individual and collective endeavor that involves students, educators, families, and communities.We believe in the power of collaboration and its impact on personal and social development.

You’ve found the program for you. Let’s take the next steps. Come to our campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts to experience the place. Get your application going. Find ways to finance your education. Whatever you need, we’re here to help.

At Lesley, you’ll become part of a community of risk takers and mold breakers. You’ll live alongside thinkers, leaders, and activists. Put knowledge into action. Gain real-world experiences that challenge you in new ways. Explore all the possibilities.Higher educational institutions have a responsibility to prepare their graduates to participate in the cultural, political, and economic life of their community, nation, and world. This democratic ideal is reflected in Lesley’s academic environment that encourages scholarship, freedom of expression, and the open exchange of ideas.

The school was founded in 1909 by Edith Lesley (1872-1953), the eldest daughter of a working class family from Maine.After working as a kindergarten teacher and taking classes at Radcliffe College, she opened her own school in 1909. Her goal: to prepare teachers for the growing kindergarten movement. The first classes were held in her family’s home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

From the start, Edith Lesley emphasized the value of the individual. She believed that an education should include not only intellectual development but also social and spiritual growth. She felt strongly that education was the bedrock of democracy.Among her most important principles was the integration of theory and practice. The young women of the Lesley School applied what they were learning in local schools, gaining classroom experience in these “laboratories for learning.”

The school flourished. In 1912, Edith Lesley married Harvard-educated engineer Merl Wolfard, and they added buildings for classroom and dormitory space. New courses were offered. By the mid 20th century, the Lesley School had grown beyond its roots. It became Lesley College in 1944, and quickly became known for excellence in teacher training.

A graduate school was added in the 1950s and within 10 years male students were enrolled in graduate education programs(The undergraduate college remained a single-sex institution until 2005.) The 1980s and ’90s saw academic offerings expanded to include the social sciences, human services, and the fine arts. In 2000, Lesley College became Lesley University. The Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences was established.

Around the time that Edith Lesley opened her school, Boston artist Roy Atherton Davidson founded the School of Practical Arts in 1912. Davidson sought an alternative to the typical art training of his day. His school grew into the Art Institute of Boston, and became part of Lesley in 1998. It was renamed the Lesley University College of Art and Design in 2013.

Come work at Lesley. You’ll join a community dedicated to scholarship and social justice. We’re located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one of the world’s best college towns. More than 7,000 students are enrolled in our undergraduate, masters, and doctoral programs. We believe that an education should be transformative. Our students become immersed not only in academics but also in the community. They discover their calling as teachers, mental health counselors, artists, and entrepreneurs by working alongside professionals in those areas through internships.