Despite making up nearly 60% of undergraduate enrollment, women only receive around 31% of computer science degrees awarded in the U.S. every year. Therefore, recruiting a gender-balanced slate of top computer science talent can prove challenging. However, all women’s colleges provide a great solution to this problem.
Women’s colleges give their students a unique and supportive setting to learn in, where they don’t have to face an exclusive “male-dominated” environment. Many of these schools are also Liberal Arts colleges, which means students can receive a balanced and varied education, gaining skills beyond their core discipline. These ten schools are producing some of the country’s most highly-skilled, well-rounded computer science candidates and are a great place to start looking for tech talent.
Barnard College
Location: New York, NY
Size of undergraduate student body: 3,043
School type: Private
Barnard, the sister school to Columbia University, has supported computer science majors for years but only launched their full-fledged computer science program in January 2019. The computer science department is growing and teaches a curriculum based on creation and innovation. They emphasize how to harness technology for the human good. The new program is fully prepared to see its students succeed, with a state-of-the-art facility including its advising center, help room, and computational science center. Barnard has been named #18 in National Liberal Arts Colleges and #29 in Most Innovative Schools by U.S. News.
Bryn Mawr College
Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
Size of undergraduate student body: 1,780
School type: Private
As the sister school to Haverford College and a co-ed member of the Tri-College Consortium, Bryn Mawr’s computer science program is supported by faculty at both colleges. It provides students with abundant resources beyond what one would expect of a school with fewer than 2,000 undergrads. Bryn Mawr allows students to specialize in their computer science major by choosing elective courses that align with another field of study they’re interested in. Students also have plenty of opportunities to participate in undergraduate research. Bryn Mawr has been ranked #31 in both Best National Liberal Arts Colleges by U.S. News.
College of Saint Benedict
Location: Collegeville, MN
Size of undergraduate student body: 1,557
School type: Private, Catholic
The College of St. Benedict partners with St. John’s University to create a novel college experience. The computer science department provides students with problem-solving skills to take on every aspect of computer science, from designing models to implementing them. They also offer plenty of opportunities outside of the classroom, including competitive programming teams that compete in an annual contest and the chance to help with faculty research. The College of St. Benedict has been ranked in the top 100 National Liberal Arts Colleges and Best Value Schools by U.S. News.
Meredith College
Location: Raleigh, NC
Size of undergraduate student body: 1,600
School type: Private
At Meredith, students can complete either a B.S. or B.A. in computer science, depending on their interests. Students are provided with great career resources throughout their college career, including student organizations like the Canaday Math & Computer Science Club. Some recent internships computer science students at Meredith College have held roles at Fidelity Investments, UNC-TV, and the SAS Institute. The computer science department also offers a student-run computer lab, “The Bit Lab,” exclusively for CS students, providing them with high-end PCs and operating systems. Meredith has also been ranked by U.S. News as #66 in Top Performers for Social Mobility.
Mount Holyoke College
Location: South Hadley, MA
Size of undergraduate student body: 2,342
School type: Private
Computer science is one of the most popular majors at Mount Holyoke, with 6% of graduates coming from the program. The computer science department aims to give students a well-rounded education, where they learn technical skills like the interplay between software and hardware while also focusing on working effectively in teams and communicating clearly. Mount Holyoke also offers plenty of resources to help students find great summer internships, research, and study abroad opportunities, specifically for CS majors. Plus, they put on an annual “HackHolyoke” hackathon where students can practice their skills.
Scripps College
Location: Claremont, CA
Size of undergraduate student body: 1,116
School type: Private
While Scripps doesn’t have a traditional computer science department, in 2019, they decided to implement a new CS strategy for any majors at the school. Students at Scripps who want to major in computer science can do so through Harvey Mudd College or Pomona College, two of the other “Claremont Colleges.” However, Scripps itself still provides plenty of computer science opportunities to students. The college is one of only eight schools partnered with Google to teach computer and data science foundations to students majoring in other areas of study. Through this partnership, students can participate in a 10-week machine learning summer intensive led by Google staff. Scripps has also been named #33 in Best National Liberal Arts Colleges by U.S. News.
Simmons University
Location: Boston, MA
Size of undergraduate student body: 5,984
School type: Private
Simmons offers a smaller but well-established computer science program. Students can participate in a unique program to receive an undergraduate degree in Computer Science or Information Technology in three years and spend their fourth year earning a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science. Students are able to apply the skills they develop in their computer science courses via internship placements available to them at industry, government, nonprofit, and academic institutions. Plus, students are equipped with great career center resources, leading to their impressive 89% rate of students either employed or attending grad school within six months of graduation. Simmons has also been ranked #30 in Best Value Schools by U.S. News.
Smith College
Location: Northampton, MA
Size of undergraduate student body: 2,924
School type: Private
Smith College, the most prominent member of the Seven Sisters, provides a comprehensive and cross-disciplinary computer science education. The CS department boasts an engaged community of students and faculty who are eager to get involved in activities such as their local chapter of Girls Who Code, undergraduate research, and running monthly social gatherings. Smith’s Summer Research Fellowship program, allows students to participate in hands-on research with faculty and work on exciting projects. Smith has been highly ranked in several areas by U.S. News & World Reports, including #14 in Best Value Schools, #16 in Best Undergraduate Teaching, and #13 in Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.
Spelman College
Location: Atlanta, GA
Size of undergraduate student body: 2,417
School type: Private, HBCU
Spelman is not only an all-women’s college but a Historically Black College (HBCU) as well, creating an even more unique opportunity for students. They have great extracurricular activities to complement their academics, including “Geek Week” and the chance to attend Google’s HBCU Hackathon. Students are provided with great resources and have been able to intern at places like Google, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and NASA’s Marshall Space Center. Spelman has received many distinctions, including being ranked by U.S. News as #1 among HBCUs, #5 in Top Performers on Social Mobility, and #9 in most innovative schools.
Wellesley College
Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts
Size of Undergraduate Student Body: 2,461
School Type: Private, Nonprofit, Liberal Arts Women’s College
Wellesley has its fair share of accolades, including being ranked #5 in U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Liberal Arts Schools. They also have many computer science majors, with around 9% of graduates coming from the program in recent years. Wellesley offers various research opportunities for their computer science students, like their Science Summer Research Program, where students are employed as full-time research assistants for 8.5 weeks. Many CS students have been awarded for their work in both the CRA Undergraduate Research awards and through NSF Graduate Research fellowships. Wellesley provides numerous opportunities for students to present their work, with traditions like the Tanner Conference, where classes are shut down for the day so the whole school can watch students present their work outside of school.
Women’s colleges are a great place to recruit a diverse slate of entry-level CS talent. These schools have some of the best computer science programs women’s colleges can offer and are a great place to start your search.
Plus, learn about top schools for women in different majors in our guide to recruiting outside of the Ivy Leagues here.
