Bryn Mawr College: A Legacy of Women's Education and Academic Excellence

Bryn Mawr College, located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of women's education in the United States. Founded in 1885 as a Quaker institution, it is one of the prestigious Seven Sister colleges, a group of historically women's colleges known for their academic rigor and commitment to empowering women. The name "bryn mawr" translates from Welsh to large hill.

A Historic Foundation

The college's origins are deeply rooted in history. The town of Bryn Mawr, in which the campus is located, had been renamed by a representative of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Bryn Mawr was the name of an area estate granted to Rowland Ellis by William Penn in the 1680s. Ellis's former home, also called Bryn Mawr, was a house near Dolgellau, Merioneth, Gwynedd, Wales. Largely funded through the bequest of Joseph W. Taylor, with James Rhoads as its first president, Bryn Mawr quickly distinguished itself as a pioneering institution. It was among the first in the United States to offer graduate degrees, including doctorates, to women. The inaugural class comprised 36 undergraduate women and eight graduate students. In 1912, Bryn Mawr broke ground by establishing the first doctoral program in social work in the United States, housed within the Department of Social Economy and Social Research, which later evolved into the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research in 1970.

From 1921 to 1938, the Bryn Mawr campus hosted the Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry, a significant initiative born from the labor education movement and the women's labor movement. This program provided educational opportunities for women working in industrial settings.

Commitment to Inclusivity

Bryn Mawr's commitment to inclusivity is reflected in its evolving admissions policies. On February 9, 2015, the college's board of trustees approved a recommendation to expand the undergraduate applicant pool to include transgender women and intersex individuals identifying as women. This decision positioned Bryn Mawr as the fourth women's college in the United States to embrace trans women. Bryn Mawr "recognizes that gender is fluid and that traditional notions of gender identity and expression can be limiting", and has the official policy of accepting nonbinary students who were assigned female at birth as well.

Campus Life and Traditions

The majority of Bryn Mawr students reside on campus in residence halls, many of which were designed by Cope & Stewardson, renowned architects also responsible for significant portions of Washington University in St. Louis and Princeton University. These halls are celebrated for their Collegiate Gothic architecture, reminiscent of Cambridge University. Each hall bears the name of a county town in Wales: Brecon, Denbigh (1891), Merion (1885), and Radnor (1887), and Pembroke East and West (1892). Rhoads North and South are named in honor of the college's first president, James E. Rhoads, while Rockefeller is named after its donor, John D. Rockefeller. Erdman, designed by architect Louis Kahn, opened in 1965. Students can also opt to live in Batten House, an environmentally friendly co-op. Perry House, initially established as the Spanish language house in 1962, was redefined as the Black Cultural Center in the 1970s. Glenmede, formerly graduate student housing, is an estate located about a half mile from the main campus which at one point was available housing for undergraduate students.

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In 1908, John C. Olmsted designed a private garden for M. Carey Thomas adjoining the Deanery. The garden was later modified and renamed as the Blanca Noel Taft Memorial Garden. In its current form, the garden is a small enclosure with two wall fountains, one with a small basin and the other with a sunken reflecting pool.

The Marjorie Walter Goodhart Theater houses a vaulted auditorium designed by Arthur Ingersoll Meigs of Mellor, Meigs & Howe, two smaller spaces that are ideal for intimate performances by visiting artists, practice rooms for student musicians, and the Office for the Arts.

Old Library

Previously named after Bryn Mawr's first Dean and second president, Old Library was used as the primary campus library until 1970, when Mariam Coffin Canaday Library opened. The Great Hall (formerly the reading room of the library) was designed by Walter Cope (of Cope and Stewardson) in 1901 and built by Stewardson and Jamieson several years later, although M. Carey Thomas played a large part in its construction. Today, it is a space for performances, readings, lectures, and public gatherings. Old Library encloses a large open courtyard called "The Cloisters". The cremated remains of M. Carey Thomas and Emmy Noether are located in the Cloisters. Georgiana Goddard King is also buried in the cloister. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1991. The Great Hall was once the home of an Athena Lemnia statue (damaged in 1997) that is now located in a high alcove in the Rhys Carpenter Art and Archaeology Library. A plaster cast of that Athena now stands in her place at the Great Hall. Students often leave offerings to this statue in the hope that she will intervene on their behalf. Old Library was formerly known as "Thomas Hall" after Bryn Mawr's second president, M. Carey Thomas. The building was informally known as "College Hall" for a year before being officially renamed to "Old Library" in 2018. This renaming was in response to student protests, which claimed that many of M. Carey Thomas's views did not represent the values of the college. Student protesters identified that M. Carey Thomas was a virulent eugenicist, antisemite and racist who strongly opposed the admission of students who were not elite white women.

Rhys Carpenter Library

Named for Bryn Mawr's late professor of Classical Archaeology, the Rhys Carpenter Library was designed by Henry Myerberg of New York and opened in 1997. The space is connected to the rear of Old Library. The entrance is a four-story atrium. Names of art and archaeology faculty are displayed on the main wall of the atrium, along with a series of plaster casts of the metopes of the Parthenon. The roof comprises a wide grassy area used for outdoor concerts and picnics. The building won a 2001 Award of Excellence for Library Architecture from the Library Administration and Management Association and the American Institute of Architects.

The Bryn Mawr College Deanery

The Bryn Mawr College Deanery was the campus residence of the first Dean and second President of Bryn Mawr College, M. Carey Thomas, who maintained a home there from 1885 to 1933. Under the direction of Thomas, the Deanery was gradually enlarged and elaborately decorated with the assistance of the American artist Lockwood de Forest and furnished with art from Thomas' world travels. From 1933 until 1968, the Deanery served as the Alumnae Center and Inn for the college. The building was demolished in the spring of 1968 to make space for the construction of Canaday Library, which stands on the site today.

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Academic Requirements and Traditions

Students at Bryn Mawr must fulfill divisional requirements in the social sciences, natural sciences (including lab skills), and humanities. Additionally, they must complete one year of a foreign language, a quantitative skills requirement, and an Emily Balch Seminar requirement. The Emily Balch Seminars are similar to courses in freshman composition at other institutions, though focus on a specific topic. In 1972, the college founded a year-long post baccalaureate pre-medical program for career changers.

Students celebrate four major traditions throughout the year, along with other minor traditions. Parade Night, which happens on the Friday of the first week of classes, is a tradition where the freshman class runs to Taylor Hall, while the upperclassmen throw confetti. Following this, the first of the three "Step Sings" takes place, during which the student body sing various traditional and pop songs. The second is Lantern Night, which takes place in late October or early November, where first year students receive a lantern which symbolizes the passing down of knowledge, during a traditional ceremony with songs in Ancient Greek. Welcome the First Years Week, formerly known as Hell Week, takes place during the early part of the semester between February and March. It is a time when students complete silly tasks and attend special events created for them by an upperclassman (called a rose) who the freshman (called a bud) personally selects. May Day is held on the Sunday after the last day of classes, not on the traditional date of May 1. It includes a breakfast of strawberries and cream, a parade, dancing around the traditional Maypole, a feminist alternative called the Mayhole, and student performances. Dar Williams's song "As Cool As I Am" has become part of May Day, as the song is played during the Mayhole celebration. The traditions are organized and run by two Traditions Mistexes, elected by the student body.

In addition to major traditions, there are a number of minor traditions. These include offerings to a statue of Athena for luck or thanks, using a set of stairs leading up to Taylor Hall called the Senior Steps or down Senior Row, a row of trees in the center of campus unless a student is a senior. The Friendship Poles, a set of two vertical poles located under the main arch of the Pembroke Dorms, are not supposed to be split by a group walking through, or else those who "split the poles" will no longer be friends.

Commitment to Sustainability

Bryn Mawr has signed the American College and University President's Climate Commitment, and in doing so, the school agreed to make all new buildings comply with a LEED silver standard or higher; to purchase Energy Star products whenever possible; and to provide and encourage the use of public transportation. The school's dining halls strive to be environmentally sustainable by working to expand their local and organic offerings, recycling in all dining areas, and recycling used fry oil as bio-diesel fuel. The dining halls previously offered biodegradable takeout containers, but reverted to Styrofoam in the 2009/10 academic year. Additionally, all leftover food is donated to a local food bank. On the College Sustainability Report Card 2011, published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, Bryn Mawr received a B+.

Rankings and Reputation

Bryn Mawr College consistently earns high rankings among national liberal arts colleges. In the 2026 edition of Best Colleges, Bryn Mawr College is ranked No. 30 in National Liberal Arts Colleges. It's also ranked No. 11 in Best Undergraduate Teaching. The student-faculty ratio at Bryn Mawr College is 8:1. Bryn Mawr College accepts the Common Application and has a test-optional admissions policy. The school's tuition and fees are $69,220. Forty-nine percent of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, and the average net price for federal loan recipients is $41,833. The four-year graduation rate is 73%. Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $53,102.

Bryn Mawr College, one of the Seven Sisters, is "a prestigious" institution "where you will work harder than you thought was possible, you'll learn more than you've ever learned before, and you'll feel…welcomed every step of the way." Mawrters are part of a "very inclusive and…empowering" sisterhood, one that's "collaborative rather than competitive." Although the college is "academically rigorous," it provides "the support [students] need to meet these high standards." This includes access to the T ri-Co and Quaker Consortium, through which students can take classes at schools like Haverford and UPenn.

Bryn Mawr attracts "brilliantly smart…and intensely academic" students who are deeply curious about the world around them. Indeed, "not a day goes by that I don't overhear a conversation about current events, politics, or other scholarly topics in the dining hall." Fortunately, there are "not many people here who have an 'I am smarter than you' attitude." In fact, students report that their classmates are "extraordinarily friendly and welcoming, especially to first-years."

Bryn Mawr students are a diligent lot. Therefore, it's common for undergrads here to "spend a lot of time studying and working either at on-campus or off-campus jobs." Despite their busy schedules, they still manage to find time for extracurriculars, and the wide range of them, "from equestrian to knitting to anime," means there's truly something for everyone. For instance, "a cappella groups are very big on campus [and] a lot of students are involved with student government." Additionally, "the student activities office plans a lot of events," such as movie screenings, tie-dye parties, concerts, pumpkin decorating, and more. Even the school president gets in on the action by hosting "'Presidential PopUps' Where they will bring in, say, an ice cream truck, and everyone gets free ice cream." Students say that "partying does happen, but you have to seek it out," as it's generally not on campus. As a result, when the weekend rolls around, students often head to "Philadelphia for dinner and nightlife since it is so close" and note that "the surrounding towns have fabulous restaurants as well, so good dining options are never in short supply." In short, the vibe is that "everyone ends up involving themselves in multiple clubs or projects.

Getting to Bryn Mawr

Philadelphia International Airport is 20 miles from campus. Taxis, limousines, and trains are available. No advance arrangements are needed for a taxi. If you want to use the trains, take the airport shuttle from the airport (it leaves every 20 minutes) to 30th St. Station in Philadelphia. From 30th St., take the SEPTA R-5 train to Bryn Mawr (leaves approximately every half hour). Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses serve Philadelphia from all over the country. Take the Amtrak train to 30th St. Station in Philadelphia. From 30th St., take SEPTA commuter train R-5 (Paoli Local or Bryn Mawr Local, which goes from Lansdale and Doylestown to Downingtown and Paoli) to Bryn Mawr; the R-5 takes approximately 18 minutes to reach Bryn Mawr. The campus is a 5-minute walk from the station; walk straight ahead (on Morris Avenue) as you get off the train. After 2 blocks, turn left on Yarrow St.; the college stretches to your right and straight ahead. Bennett Taxi Service can be called on a direct phone line from the Bryn Mawr train station if you don't want to walk. If you want to call Bennett in advance, the number is 610-525-1770. (Route 1 South). right onto Lancaster Avenue (Route 30 West). reach the center of Bryn Mawr. station will be on your right and a Starbucks on your left. right. Cross Montgomery Avenue (at the traffic light). corner of Morris Avenue and Yarrow Street . Morris Avenue and ample visitor parking is available. turnpike to the College: under 7 miles.

Career and Civic Engagement

Bryn Mawrâs Career and Civic Engagement Center (CCEC) prepares liberal arts and sciences students to become effective leaders by emphasizing experiential education and alumnae involvement. Fieldwork experience (for academic credit) can be arranged through the centerâs Praxis learning programs, which integrate academic theory with relevant, active placements. Undergrads can also work with the center to schedule one-on-one appointments at any time and receive assistance in crafting their personal job strategy, creating and tweaking their rÃ©sumÃ©s, and learning the secrets to successful networking. CCEC is also responsible for recruiting and orchestrating interviews and events where undergrads can meet with prospective employers interested in hiring Bryn Mawr students for internships, entry-level positions, and gap-year fellowships. Funding is available for summer internships, research opportunities, and study abroad, while Mini-Grants are available throughout the school year to support student or organization interests, such as conferences, guest speakers, or test prep.

Notable Alumnae and Faculty

A large number of Bryn Mawr alumnae and former attendees are notable in their respective fields. The list includes Drew Gilpin Faust (class of 1968), the first woman president of Harvard University; Hanna Holborn Gray (1950), the first woman president of a major research university (University of Chicago); modernist poets Hilda "H.D." Doolittle (attended), and Marianne Moore (1909); classics scholar Edith Hamilton (M.A. 1894); archaeologist Doreen Canaday Spitzer (1936); author, social activist and feminist Grace Lee Boggs (Ph.D. 1940); Nobel Peace Prize winner Emily Greene Balch (1889); geneticist Nettie Stevens (Ph.D. 1903); physicist Elizabeth Laird (Ph.D. 1901); physicist and astronomer Frances Lowater (Ph.D. 1904); mathematician Ada Isabel Maddison (Ph.D. 1896); Physician Martha Tracy (1898) a pioneer in medical education and in public health; 1891 Fellow in Mathematics Ruth Gentry; artist Anne Truitt (1943); author Ellen Kushner (attended); economist and founding Director of the Congressional Budget Office Alice Rivlin (1952); four-time Academy Award-winning actress Katharine Hepburn (1928); poet Jane Hess Flanders (1962); Carol Alonso, nuclear physicist; Mary Elizabeth Taylor, former aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Forbes 30 under 30; Carolyn Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas from 2011â; Betsy Hodges, mayor of Minneapolis from 2013 to 2017; Renata Adler, novelist and journalist; Dame A.S. Byatt, novelist and Booker Prize winner; Joan Slonczewski, biologist and science fiction novelist; Caroline Stevermer, fantasy novelist; Rachel Simon, author and memoirist; Maggie Siff, actor (1996). Neuroscientist Candace Pert (1970) helped discover opioid receptors. Ana BotÃn is chair of the Santander Group, one of the world's largest banking groups. Indie musician Michelle Zauner (who performs as Japanese Breakfast) attended Bryn Mawr as well. The social reformer, Alice P. Gannett (1898), for whom the Goodrich-Gannett Neighborhood Center is named, attended Bryn Mawr, as did Maya Ajmera, CEO of Society for Science & the Public. Notable faculty include Woodrow Wilson, chemists Arthur C.

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