Stephens College

Founded in 1833, Stephens College is the second-oldest women's college in the country and is located in a large co-educational college town. Ranked as one of the best college towns in America, Columbia, Mo., is home to 36,000-plus college students, including those from the University of Missouri and Columbia College. The town offers big-time college sports; film, music and arts festivals; abundant recreation; and a vibrant downtown with plenty of places to eat and shop.

Our campus is located in the heart of Columbia and within walking distance of downtown. Our campus is imbued with historic buildings, lush grass, sculptures and towering shade trees.

Columbia, MO

There are seven residence halls on campus

98% of Stephens students receive some form of financial aid.

The Stephens College Student Success Center is committed to offering accommodations for students with mental or physical disabilities.

1. Enrolled students who wish to self-identify as having a documented disability should contact the ADA/Section 504 Coordinator and deliver a completed Request for Disability Services and Accommodations form with accompanying disability documentation. Planning ahead will ensure that accommodations are in place your first semester.
2. Disability documentation, which must be completed by a credentialed professional, should be current, complete, and appropriate. The Student Handbook, Within the Ivy (2013-2014, pages 46-47), provides information regarding current, complete, and appropriate documentation. In addition, please consult the Disability Documentation Factsheet for a comprehensive list of elements needed in quality documentation.
3. You will need to meet with the ADA/Section 504 Coordinator. She, and possibly the ADA/Section 504 Committee, will develop and implement an accommodation plan to meet your needs. If you receive academic accommodations, letters will be prepared to notify your instructors.
4. After this initial process, you will request your accommodations through the ADA/Section 504 Coordinator at the beginning of each semester.

Columbia is a college town that has it all: big-time college sports; film, music and arts festivals; amazing recreation; and a great downtown with lots of places to eat, shop, snack and check out the latest bands. And Stephens is proud to be a vibrant part of Columbia, offering community programming and exhibits, public performances and the Citizen Jane Film Festival. Through our Children's School, the TRYPS Institute at Stephens College and our summer performance, sports and academic camps, we proudly educate girls and boys of all ages.

Stephens also has a Student Union complete with Ping-Pong, foosball and pool tables, TVs and gaming equipment. A workout room includes state-of-the-art equipment and weights. Students also have access to the University of Missouri's Student Rec Complex just a few blocks from Stephens.

And while we're steps from downtown, we're also a welcoming home-away-from-home. Here you'll find a culture of respect and support--and new friends eager to take on life's amazing adventures with you. You'll also find the spaces and places where you can stay up late with friends, have fun working on projects together, and just relax between classes.

There are lots of ways to get involved in clubs, events and special programs around campus. We have an active Student Government Association, academic clubs, honor societies, two sororities, a student magazine and a student literary journal. We're home to eight athletic teams and a vibrant School of Performing Arts that offers musicals, plays and dance concerts throughout the year.

We have lots of clubs on campus. A few examples include:

• Alpha Lambda Delta - an academic honors society based on GPA of 3.5 or better
• Beautiful - an organization that aims to create bonds of women of the African Diaspora on campus
• Campus Life Unleashed (CLU) - a volunteer student organization that supports the mission of the College and meets the needs of its students by providing social, recreational and developmental programs on campus
• The Human Experience - Stephens College's QSA
• Mortar Board - the premier national honor society recognizing college seniors for superior achievement in scholarship, leadership and service
• Panhellenic - comprised of 2 incredible sororities, Kappa Delta and Sigma Sigma Sigma; both of which excel in academics, serving the community and becoming leaders
• Sigma Tau Delta - The Alpha Epsilon Eta chapter of the International English Honor Society
• Stephens College Student Government Association (SGA) - the governing body of all students
• Tri-Beta - a student lead organization dedicated to improving the understanding and appreciation of biological study

Students are also welcome to form their own clubs on campus.

We are committed to the philosophy of developing student-athletes whose first priority is education. We're affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and a member of the American Midwest Conference.

Basketball
Competitive Dance
Cross Country
Golf
Soccer
Softball
Tennis
Volleyball

Stephens College is the only private college in mid-Missouri to be included in The Princeton Review’s Best 381 Colleges
Stephens' Theatre program is also rated 6th in the nation by The Princeton Review
Stephens' Fashion program is rated 14th in the world by The Business of Fashion, London, and rated 2nd for learning experience and long-term value
Columbia is ranked 3rd Best College Town in the country by Liveability.com
Stephens is rated No. 1 Top College for Dog Lovers by College Magazine
Stephens is consistently ranked among the top regional colleges in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report

Limited parking is available

• Apparel Studies
• Biology (Pre-Med/Pre-Vet)
• Dance
• Digital Filmmaking
• Education
• English/Creative Writing
• Equestrian Studies
• Event and Convention Management
• Exercise Science
• Fashion Communication
• Fashion Design and Product Development
• Fashion Marketing and Management
• Graphic Design Communications
• Health Information Administration
• Health Science (7 tracks)
• Human Development
• Integrated Marketing Communications
• Music: Vocal Performance
• Musical Theatre
• Psychology
• Theatre Arts (6 tracks)
• Theatre Management
• Theatrical Costume Design

Minors

• Art History
• Biology
• Small Business
• Chemistry
• Creative Writing
• Dance
• Design Arts
• Digital Filmmaking
• Education
• English
• Equestrian Studies
• Forensic Science
• Music
• Psychology
• Small Business Ownership
• Event Planning
• Theatre Arts
• Visual Arts
• Women's Studies

Expanded Programs

• Honors Program
• Study Abroad

Stephens College expands the boundaries of campus with a variety of overseas study opportunities. Study abroad programs combine academic study with cross-cultural interaction and complement students' major courses of study and foreign language interests. Other international experiences include volunteer work or international internships. Once introduced to different ways of living, studying, working and communicating, students are prepared for professions and opportunities anywhere in the world.

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• Apply Now
• Request Info
• Pay Deposit
• Plan a Visit
• Meet the Team
• Contact Us

Our historical mission

“Historically committed to meeting the changing needs of women, Stephens College prepares students to become leaders and innovators in a rapidly changing world. Stephens engages lifelong learners in an educational experience characterized by intellectual rigor, creative expression and professional practice, in an environment supported by accomplished faculty and dedicated alumnae. Graduates of Stephens are educated in the liberal arts, professionally prepared and inspired by our tradition of the Ten Ideals as core values that enrich women’s lives.”

At Stephens, we embrace the Ten Ideals. Adopted in 1921, these ideals represent Stephens College. Each year, 10 students are chosen to personify each Ideal.

• Respect for our own dignity and the dignity of others, embodied in a sense of social justice
• Courage and persistence
• Independence, autonomy and self-sufficiency
• Support for others through the willingness to take and give criticism, acceptance and love
• Sensitivity to the uniqueness and fragility of the natural world of which we are part
• Responsibility for the consequences of our choices
• Belief in our changing selves and in our right to change
• Creativity in the spiritual and aesthetic dimensions of life
• Intelligence that is informed and cultivated, critical yet tolerant
• Leadership which empowers others

Many of Stephens programs provide students the opportunity to graduate in three years by offering summer learning institutes and apprenticeships after their first and second years of college.

Jeane Kirkpatrick ’46, first woman ambassador to the U.N.
Wally Funk ’58, one of the Mercury 13 and the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation SafetyBoard
Virginia Shehee ’42 first woman elected to the Louisiana Senate without succeeding a husband
Actresses Stephanie Bischoff Beatriz, Elizabeth Mitchell, Annie Potts, Dawn Wells

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Stephens College was founded as a women’s college in 1833 at a time when universities were not open to women. Although women today have options, we know that a women-only environment provides unique advantages.

Here, students receive challenging and relevant coursework, benefit from small class sizes and enjoy opportunities to network with alumnae and professional guest experts in their fields of interest.

Stephens women also receive innovative career preparatory programming and have access to numerous leadership opportunities. Stephens has become a leader in the creative arts by providing students with experiential learning, career preparation and leadership opportunities in a small college setting that emphasizes the individual, and challenges everyone to pursue their most ambitious goals. 

Studies have shown that students who attend women’s colleges are better prepared for their careers.

Research shows:

• Those who attend women’s colleges are more likely to speak up and participate in class. 
  At Stephens, our student-to-faculty ratio is 10-to-1, ensuring that your unique voice and perspective will be heard and valued. Our professors will know you by name.
   
• Students at women’s colleges are better served in their educational pursuits than co-ed peers. 
  That’s especially true at Stephens. Each of our academic programs provides real-world experiences and opportunities outside of the classroom. Whether you’re a digital film student working with professional filmmakers during our annual Citizen Jane Film Festival; a fashion student designing and presenting garments at The Collections annual runway fashion show; an education major working in our on-campus elementary school; an equestrian student assisting at our stables; or a marketing student joining our student-run firm, Creative Ink, you will have unprecedented opportunities at Stephens College.
   
• Students who attend women’s colleges are more likely to take on leadership roles. 
  At Stephens, student government and club representatives routinely meet with the College president and senior administration. There are numerous clubs on campus, and students are always welcome to form and lead their own organizations.
   
• Having female role models tends to increase your own aspirations and achievements. 
  Our Alumnae Association is more than 20,000 members strong—women who are eager to mentor and support you. You’ll find plenty of role models on campus, too, in our amazing administrators and faculty members.
   
• Women’s college attendees are more confident than co-ed peers, even in co-educational environments. 
  Stephens gives you the best of both worlds. We’re located in Columbia, Mo., home of the University of Missouri and more than 36,000 college students. That means you can take advantage of our intimate, supportive campus community while enjoying the social benefits of living in a college town.