Smith College

Smith College is a private liberal arts women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1871 by Sophia Smith and opened its doors in 1875. As one of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, Smith has been an important place for women’s education in the Northeastern United States.

The college is part of the Five College Consortium, which allows students to take classes at four other nearby schools: Mount Holyoke College, Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Smith offers a wide range of subjects and has unique features like self-scheduled exams and an open curriculum.

Smith was the first women’s college to offer an engineering degree for undergraduates and the first to join the NCAA, with its sports teams called the Smith Bears. Many famous and accomplished people, including two First Ladies of the United States, have graduated from Smith. The campus includes a Museum of Art and a Botanic Garden designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

History

Smith College was founded in 1871 thanks to a gift from Sophia Smith. It opened its doors in 1875 with just 14 students and 6 teachers. The beautiful campus was designed like a garden in the 1890s by a famous landscape designer. By 1915, the college had grown to over 1,700 students.

During World War II, Smith College helped train women to become officers in the U.S. Navy. In 2015, the college started sharing its research with everyone online. In 2022, Sarah Willie-LeBreton became the new president of the college.

In 2026, some students protested to ask the college to stop supporting companies that make weapons. The college agreed to talk with the students about their concerns.

Campus

Smith College has made efforts to help the environment. The college works with a car-sharing service to reduce the number of private cars on campus. It also promotes sustainability through learning and the arts.

The college earned a good grade for its sustainability work. A special report praised Smith for involving students, building eco-friendly structures, and improving transportation options.

A new student center named Kathleen McCartney Hall is being built near Paradise Pond. It will include spaces for career development and leadership programs.

Academics

Smith College has 317 teachers in 57 subjects. There are 8 students for each teacher. It was the first women's college in the United States to give its own undergraduate degrees in engineering. The engineering program teaches students about many kinds of engineering.

In 2008, Smith decided that students could not take the SAT test to get into college.

Smith has special programs where students can study in four European cities: Paris, Hamburg, Florence, and Geneva. Students must learn the language of the country they are in. Many students from Smith study in other countries too.

Students can also join a special math program for young women who want to learn more about math. They can take classes, do research, and work with teachers.

There is also a program where students can help with research projects across different subjects. Students can learn leadership skills in another program that teaches public speaking, teamwork, and thinking skills.

All students can do an internship to learn about jobs in areas like helping people, art, health, and education.

The most popular subjects for students who graduated in 2021 were:

• Research & Experimental Psychology (49)
• Biology/Biological Sciences (48)
• Political Science & Government (45)
• Engineering Science (36)
• History (30)
• English Language & Literature (25)
• Mathematics (23)
• Economics (23)
• Computer Science (22)

Ada Comstock Scholars Program

The Ada Comstock Scholars Program is for women who are older than usual college age. These students can take classes full or part-time and join in many school activities. They can live on or off the school grounds. Help with money is available if needed.

This program started in 1968 and became official in 1975. It is named after Ada Louise Comstock Notestein, a Smith graduate who helped women with their education.

Graduate degrees and study options

Smith offers degrees for people who already finished college. These include teaching, art, education for people who cannot hear well, science, sports studies, and social work. There are also special one-year programs for students from other countries.

The Smith College School for Social Work is well-known for teaching social work and focuses on hands-on learning. It gives degrees in social work and also has a program for leaders in social work research and teaching.

Smith also works with other schools to offer special programs for people who want to get a Ph.D.

Admissions and rankings

Smith College is very selective, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. In 2023, Smith received over 9,800 applications for its next class and accepted about 19% of them. The school looks at test scores like the SAT and ACT, but it also offers test-optional options.

In rankings, Smith is often listed among the top colleges in the U.S. It has been recognized for offering good value for students, strong teaching, and helping students from different backgrounds succeed. It is also accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

Traditions

Residential culture and student life

Smith College asks most students to live in special buildings on campus called "houses" instead of dorms. There are 41 different houses, each with its own style, from very old to modern. Students can meet others at Friday tea in their houses, where they enjoy special molasses cookies made by Sophia Smith, the college’s founder.

Two important buildings on campus are the Julia McWilliams Child Campus Center and the Olin Fitness Center. There is also a beautiful garden with many plants and old greenhouses. Smith College supports all women, including those who identify as cis, trans, or nonbinary. Special groups help these students feel welcome and supported.

Houses

Smith College has many houses where students live. Each house is mostly self-run, and students can move between houses if there is space. The houses are in four main areas of campus: Upper and Lower Elm Street, Green Street, Center Campus, and the Quadrangle. In 2019, the college began calling these areas Ivy, Paradise, Mountain, and Garden instead of their locations.

Green Street houses

• Hubbard House – lived in by a character from the TV show Veep. Chef Julia Child also lived here.
• Lawrence House – Poet Sylvia Plath lived here.
• Morris House – Built in 1891 to help make space for more students.
• Tyler House – Named after a trustee of the college. Former First Lady Barbara Bush lived here.
• Washburn House – Named after a trustee and senator. During World War II, it was a place for students who could not study abroad to learn Spanish.
• 44 Green Street
• 54 Green Street

Center Campus houses

• Cutter House
• Chapin House – Author Margaret Mitchell lived here. The staircase here inspired the one in the book and movie Gone With the Wind.
• Haven/Wesley Houses
• Hopkins House – Once three houses, now just one.
• Park Complex
  • Park Annex – One of two special houses for students from minority groups.
• Sessions Complex – The oldest house on campus with a secret passageway.
• Tenney House
• Ziskind House

Upper Elm Street houses

• Capen House – Built in 1825 and part of a school before becoming a college house. Named after Bessie Tilson Capen.
• Gillett House – Connected to Northrop House and has the only dining hall for vegan and vegetarian students.
• Lamont House – Built in 1955, named after a generous alumna.
• Northrop House
• Parsons Complex
  • Parsons Annex – One of two special houses for students from minority groups.
• Talbot House – Built in 1909, home to US First Lady Nancy Reagan during her time at Smith. Named after Bessie Tilson Capen.

Lower Elm Street houses

• Albright House
• Baldwin House – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin lived here.
• Chase House – Once a school for girls, now a place for students who do not use alcohol or drugs.
• Conway House – For students and families in a special program, named after a former Smith president.
• Duckett House – One of the oldest buildings on campus with only 36 students. Known as “Ducks” and has a special duck shrine.
• 150 Elm Street

East Quadrangle houses

• Cushing House – Named after a math professor, writer Gloria Steinem lived here.
• Emerson House
• Jordan House – Built in 1922 and named after a former head of the English Department.
• King House – Named after a longtime building and grounds supervisor.
• Scales House – Named after the school’s first dean of students.

West Quadrangle houses

• Comstock House – Named after a former dean and president of another college.
• Gardiner House
• Morrow House – Named after a former acting president of the college.
• Haynes House – Renamed in 2024 to honor a mathematician after learning more about the previous namesakes.
• Wilson House – Named after a graduate of the class of 1895
• Paradise Apartments – Named after notable graduates of Smith.

Campus folklore

Smith College has many stories about ghosts connected to its old buildings. One famous story is about Sessions House, which was built in 1751. Some people say they have seen the ghost of Lucy Hunt there, who is said to be sad after being separated from her lover.

Clubs, sports, and organizations

In addition to 11 sports teams, Smith College has over 120 clubs and groups for students to join.

Athletics

Smith’s sports teams were called the Pioneers until 2025 when they changed their name to the Smith Bears. This change honored Senda “the Bear” Berenson, an important alumna in basketball history. Smith was the first women’s college to join the NCAA. The college’s official color is white with gold trim, but athletic teams use blue and yellow. Students have class colors—yellow, red, blue, and green—that follow them through their time at Smith.

Cultural organizations

There are 11 cultural groups under the UNITY title, including the Asian Students’ Association, Black Students’ Alliance, and others. The Black Students’ Alliance is the oldest of these groups. In 2012, a project began to record the history of students of color at Smith.

Alumnae

Main article: List of Smith College people

Smith College has many notable graduates who have made their mark in different fields. Some of these graduates include Pulitzer Prize-winning writers, famous chefs, and leaders in government and activism.

Among the well-known alumnae are:

• Margaret Mitchell, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer.
• Sylvia Plath, another Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and poet.
• Julia Child, a famous chef and television personality.
• Nancy Reagan, the 40th First Lady of the United States.
• Barbara Bush, the 41st First Lady of the United States.
• Betty Friedan, a feminist activist.
• Gloria Steinem, a feminist activist and journalist.
• Catharine A. MacKinnon, a feminist and legal scholar.
• Yolanda King, a civil rights activist.
• Tammy Baldwin, the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to Congress as a U.S. Senator for Wisconsin.
• Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, an Academy Awards-winning documentarian.

Notable staff

Main article: List of Smith College people

Smith College has had many famous teachers and guests over the years. Some well-known names include:

• Herbert Baxter Adams, a historian who helped start the American Historical Association.
• Newton Arvin, a literary critic.
• Leonard Baskin, an artist.
• Mary Ellen Chase, an author who taught English.
• Emily Hale, a speech and drama teacher who inspired writer T.S. Eliot.
• Louise Holland, a teacher of languages and ancient history.
• Daphne Lamothe, a leader and professor studying African cultures.
• Yusef Abdul Lateef, a famous jazz musician.
• Sylvia Plath, a poet who taught English for a short time.
• Kurt Vonnegut, a novelist who visited as a special writer.
• Jane Zielonko, a translator of important books.

In the past, the college made a mistake by treating some teachers unfairly. Later, the college created special awards to remember them and to support learning about important ideas like freedom of expression.