National Survey Illustrates Advantages of Women’s College Education
Results issued recently from a Hardwick-Day Inc. study show that women’s college graduates rate their alma maters higher on a number of key measures than their female counterparts who attended coeducational liberal arts colleges and public universities.
Unlike many alumnae studies that assess students shortly after graduation, the Hardwick-Day survey of women graduates from the classes of 1970 through 1997 assesses the long-term impact of the college experience in relation to
• Satisfaction with the undergraduate experience
• Career preparation and advancement
• Transferable skill development
• Personal and professional values and attitudes
• Community involvement
The study, commissioned by the Women’s College Coalition, utilized a comparison group from the Hardwick-Day database of more than 10,000 interviews collected nationwide since 1998.
Among the most notable findings, women’s colleges scored higher than coed liberal arts colleges and public universities at being “extremely effective” in helping their graduates to
• Develop self-confidence and initiative (62% compared to 42% and 41%)
• Have a sense of purpose in life (53% compared to 43% and 24%)
• Place problems in social and historical perspective (46% compared to 29% and 13%)
• Develop moral principles that can guide actions (48% compared to 38% and 13%)
• Develop the ability to learn new skills (58% compared to 43% and 33%)
• Be politically and socially aware (42% compared to 30% and 18%)
• Think creatively (53% compared to 46% and 35%)
• Speak effectively (44% compared to 31% and 19%)
• Write effectively (59% compared to 44% and 29%)
• Work as part of a team (47% compared to 36% and 28%)
• Think analytically (54% compared to 48% and 26%)
• Relate to people of different backgrounds (52% compared to 40% and 30%)
• Solve problems and make effective decisions (54%, compared to 38% and 27%)
• Be prepared for their first job (43% compared to 32% and 24%)
• Be prepared for career change or advancement (43% compared to 28% and19%)
Compared to their peers at coeducational liberal arts colleges and public universities, more women’s college graduates reported to have
• Completed their degrees in four years or less (85% compared to 83% and 55%)
• Benefited greatly from a “high quality, teaching-oriented faculty” (74% compared to 66% and 35%)
• Earned graduate degrees (53% compared to 38% and 28%)
Debunking common myths that large universities offer superior facilities and access to equipment and research opportunities, 54% of women’s college graduates said they “benefited very much from good academic facilities and equipment,” compared to only 31% at public universities; and 57% of women’s college graduates reported participating in faculty-directed research or independent study, compared to 36% of women from public universities.
“The study’s results reinforce what we already know—that Converse and other women’s colleges serve as incubators for real-world success and are tremendously successful in developing the whole person, ensuring personal and professional achievement, fulfillment and balance throughout a graduate’s lifetime,” stated Converse President Betsy Fleming. “Converse’s top priority is to deliver a personalized, distinct and excellent educational experience – both in and out