1884
We were chartered as Industrial Institute & College by the State of Mississippi.
First state-supported college for women in the United States.
It was constructed on the site of Columbus Female Institute,
a private college that predates the Civil War.
1982
University accepts first male student.
Today, 17% of our students are men,
and that number is growing every year.
3,483
2012-13 Headcount
14:1
Our average class size is about 14 students.
That means you'll get the individual attention you need.
And ALL of our classes are taught by
qualified instructors, not graduate students.
We have students from 10 countries.
Last year, we awarded approximately
$4,730,000
in scholarships.
And provided over
$43,000,000
to the economy of Mississippi.
The 'Wow' Factor has been a part of The W since its 1884 beginning, when it was founded on the radical idea that women should have the opportunity for a higher education. Today, MUW continues its historic focus on academic leadership development for women, as well as its long tradition of excellence in liberal arts and professional education for both women and men. MUW prepares our students for a wide variety of roles, both professionally and personally.
- Established in 1884 as the first public college for women in the United States, MUW is proud of its tradition of excellence for women and men.
- The quality of MUW's academic program has been nationally recognized. U.S. News & World Report's 2013 guide, "America's Best Colleges," placed MUW at No. 18 as one of the top public Southern regional universities MUW also was ranked No. 15 in Washington Monthly's 2012 rankings of top 100 master's universities.
- For the third year in a row, MUW has been recognized on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Students, faculty and staff completed 263,000 hours of community service in 2010-2011.
- The NCLEX-RN three-year pass rates for MUW's baccalaureate nursing graduates are the highest in the Mississippi Public Universities System. MUW's nursing graduates enjoy 100 percent job placement.
- MUW's College of Education & Human Sciences and Sale Elementary were awarded the Governor's University Partnership Award. This distinguished award recognizes the innovative partnership between two outstanding educational entities.
- The outstanding reputation of MUW's teacher education program continues to make the job prospects for its graduates bright. Increased demand for quality teachers gives MUW graduates a huge advantage in securing a teaching position.
- MUW's student team dominated the 2011 TVA Investment Challenge competition, earning a 14.94 percent return on its portfolio with the second place team earning only 6.8 percent. The portfolio it manages is now worth over $500,000.
- MUW's highly regarded Culinary Arts Institute is one of the few programs of its kind in the nation offering a baccalaureate degree.
- MUW is one of a limited number of universities in the country and the only public institution in Mississippi to offer a bachelor's in music therapy.
- Lectures, seminars, programs and our annual Welty Series, which honors world-renowned alumna Eudora Welty, annually draws noted authors, journalists, scholars and artists to Mississippi University for Women.
- MUW was the recipient of the Columbus Arts Council's 2012 Corporate Sponsor of the Year Award. The university was recognized for being a partner for the Young People's Artist Series and other programs through co-sponsorships.
- MUW is home to the Mississippi Governor's School and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, the fourth public, residential high school for gifted students in the nation.
- With 23 of its more than 60 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, MUW's campus is one of the nation's most architecturally distinguished.
- The W's economic impact on the local community alone is more than $43 million. MUW employs about 400 people, making it the seventh largest employer in Lowndes County.
