Sisters' college
Encyclopedia
A sisters' college is a college
that primarily serves as a place for the education of future and current nun
s. They are not to be confused with Catholic
women's colleges, which are designed for general education programs and do not consider the education of nuns to be their focus.
Also known as "sister formation colleges," sisters' colleges are operated by congregations of religious women, such as the Sisters of Christian Charity
or the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
. Historically, they have made at least some of their courses open to lay
women, and also men in some cases. Most feature a convent
on their premises.
Although previously prevalent across the United States
, there is only one currently in operation there, that being the Assumption College for Sisters
in Mendham
, New Jersey
. Catholic women's colleges now serve as the primary providers of education to nuns in the United States, while many of the former sisters' colleges provide campuses for convents and other religious institutions, or have been transitioned into K-12
schools.
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
that primarily serves as a place for the education of future and current nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s. They are not to be confused with Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
women's colleges, which are designed for general education programs and do not consider the education of nuns to be their focus.
Also known as "sister formation colleges," sisters' colleges are operated by congregations of religious women, such as the Sisters of Christian Charity
Sisters of Christian Charity
Sisters of Christian Charity, , officially called Sisters of Christian Charity, Daughters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, is a Roman Catholic papal congregation of consecrated religious sisters founded in Paderborn, Germany in 1849 by Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt for...
or the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Catholic Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were founded in Viareggio, Italy in 1894 by Clelia Merloni. The congregation has grown to over 1,500 sisters on five continents.-External links:**...
. Historically, they have made at least some of their courses open to lay
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
women, and also men in some cases. Most feature a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
on their premises.
Although previously prevalent across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, there is only one currently in operation there, that being the Assumption College for Sisters
Assumption College for Sisters
The Assumption College for Sisters is a two-year Roman Catholic women's college in Mendham, Morris County, New Jersey, from New York City.Founded in 1953 through an affiliation with nearby Seton Hall University, Assumption is run by the Sisters of Christian Charity and is housed in their...
in Mendham
Mendham, New Jersey
Mendham is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,097.While New Jersey was an English colony, Mendham Township was formed on March 29, 1749 as a new governmental entity, from portions of Hanover Township, Morris Township,...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Catholic women's colleges now serve as the primary providers of education to nuns in the United States, while many of the former sisters' colleges provide campuses for convents and other religious institutions, or have been transitioned into K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
schools.
List of sisters' colleges
The following is a list of current and historical sisters' colleges. Ones listed in bold are still in operation:California
- Mount Alverno College, Redwood CityRedwood City, CaliforniaRedwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
(closed, date unknown) - College of Our Lady of Mercy, AuburnAuburn, CaliforniaAuburn is the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population at the 2010 census was 13,330. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history.Auburn is part of the Greater Sacramento area.- History :...
and BurlingameBurlingame, CaliforniaBurlingame is a city in San Mateo County, California. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame. It is renowned for its many surviving examples of Victorian architecture, its affluence, and...
(closed, date unknown) - Pilarica College, Thousand OaksThousand Oaks, CaliforniaThousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak....
(closed c. 1969) - Presentation College, Los GatosLos Gatos, CaliforniaThe Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 29,413 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains...
(closed in 1971) - Queen of Holy Rosary College, FremontFremont, CaliforniaFremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(closed, date unknown)
Connecticut
- Diocesan Sisters CollegeDiocesan Sisters CollegeDiocesan Sisters College was a sisters college in Bloomfield, Connecticut. It was formed in 1949. Its primary goal was to educate nuns who would then be teachers in Catholic schools. It closed in 1969.-References:...
, BloomfieldBloomfield, ConnecticutBloomfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,626 at the 2009 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.2 square miles is water.Bloomfield is bordered by Windsor to the...
(closed in 1969) - College of Notre Dame, WiltonWilton, ConnecticutWilton is a town nestled in the Norwalk River Valley in southwestern Connecticut in the United States. It is located in Fairfield County. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 18,062. In 2007, it was voted as one of CNN Money's "Best Places to Live" in the United States.Located along...
(closed in 1972) - Mount Sacred Heart CollegeMount Sacred Heart CollegeMount Sacred Heart College was a small Catholic women's college in Hamden, Connecticut. It was founded in 1946 and closed in the summer of 1997 due to low enrollment....
, HamdenHamden, ConnecticutHamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
(closed in 1997) - Our Lady of Angels College, EnfieldEnfield, ConnecticutEnfield is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 45,212 at the 2000 census. It sits on the border with Longmeadow, Massachusetts and East Longmeadow, Massachusetts to the north, Somers to the east, East Windsor and Ellington to the south, and the...
- Seat of Wisdom College, LitchfieldLitchfield, ConnecticutLitchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
(became interfaith retreat center in 1967)
Florida
- Saint Joseph College of FloridaSaint Joseph College of FloridaSaint Joseph College of Florida was a college operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Florida in St. Augustine and in Jensen Beach, Florida.-1890–1966:...
, Jensen BeachJensen Beach, FloridaJensen Beach is a census-designated place in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,100 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Port St...
(began admitting lay students in 1967; closed in 1972)
Illinois
- Immaculate Conception College (Illinois), Oconomowoc (closed, date unknown)
Indiana
- Saint Joseph Junior College, TiptonTipton, IndianaTipton is a city in and the county seat of Tipton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,106 at the 2010 census. It is part of the 'Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area...
(closed, date unknown) - Victory Noll College, HuntingtonHuntington, IndianaHuntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
(closed, date unknown)
Louisiana
- Mount Carmel Junior College, New OrleansNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
(closed, date unknown) - Saint Joseph Junior College, St. Benedict (closed, date unknown)
Massachusetts
- College of Saint Joseph, Boston (closed, date unknown)
- Regina Coeli College (Massachusetts), FitchburgFitchburg, MassachusettsFitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.- History :...
(closed in 1971)
Minnesota
- Saint Joseph Junior College, St. Paul (closed, date unknown)
New Jersey
- Assumption College for SistersAssumption College for SistersThe Assumption College for Sisters is a two-year Roman Catholic women's college in Mendham, Morris County, New Jersey, from New York City.Founded in 1953 through an affiliation with nearby Seton Hall University, Assumption is run by the Sisters of Christian Charity and is housed in their...
, MendhamMendham, New JerseyMendham is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,097.While New Jersey was an English colony, Mendham Township was formed on March 29, 1749 as a new governmental entity, from portions of Hanover Township, Morris Township,...
(still sisters' college) - Englewood Cliffs CollegeEnglewood Cliffs CollegeEnglewood Cliffs College was a women's college for Roman Catholic nuns and laypersons in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Newark and primarily designed to be a sisters' college, the college closed in 1974....
, Englewood CliffsEnglewood Cliffs, New JerseyEnglewood Cliffs is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 5,281. The borough houses the world headquarters of CNBC and the American headquarters of Unilever, and is home to both Ferrari and Maserati North America.Englewood Cliffs...
(closed in 1974) - Felician CollegeFelician CollegeFelician College is a private Roman Catholic college with two campuses, located in Lodi and Rutherford, New Jersey.It was founded as the Immaculate Conception Normal School by the Felician Sisters in 1923, and became Immaculate Conception Junior College in 1942. With the authorization of its first...
, LodiLodi, New JerseyLodi is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 24,136. The borough of Lodi is governed under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law.Lodi owes its name to the Italian city of Lodi...
- Opened in 1923; accepted lay students in 1964 . - Our Lady of Princeton College, PrincetonPrinceton, New JerseyPrinceton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
(closed c. 1980s)
New York
- Brentwood College, BrentwoodBrentwood, New YorkBrentwood is a hamlet of the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York. According to the 2000 Census, the population of Brentwood is 53,917.The colony was established on March 21, 1851, on 750 acres of land on Long Island, New York, by Josiah Warren and Stephen Pearl Andrews...
(closed in 1971) - Catherine McAuley College, RochesterRochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
(closed in 1971) - College of Holy Names, AlbanyAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
(closed in 1969) - Mother Celine House of Studies, CastletonCastleton, New YorkCastleton is the name of two places in the U.S. state of New York:*Castleton, Staten Island, a former town in the U.S. state of New York*Castleton-on-Hudson, New York...
(closed in 1973) - Saint Albert College, MiddletownMiddletown, Orange County, New YorkMiddletown is a city in Orange County, New York, United States. It lies in New York's Hudson Valley region, near the Wallkill River and the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains. Middletown is situated between Port Jervis and Newburgh, New York. The city's population was 25,388 at the 2000 census...
(closed, date unknown) - Trocaire CollegeTrocaire CollegeTrocaire College is a coeducational junior college specializing in health care training, located in Buffalo, New York. Trocaire has a second location, the Russell J. Salvatore School of Hospitality & Business, located in Lancaster, New York...
, BuffaloBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
(began admitting lay women in 1965)
North Dakota
- Sacred Heart Junior College, FargoFargo, North DakotaFargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
(closed, date unknown)
Pennsylvania
- Blessed Sacrament Junior College, Bensalem (closed, date unknown)
- La Roche CollegeLa Roche CollegeLa Roche College is a private college in McCandless, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. It was founded in 1963 by the Sisters of Divine Providence as a Roman Catholic college and now sits on an campus in McCandless. The current president, Sister Candace Introcaso, CDP, Ph.D., was installed in...
, PittsburghPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
- Opened in 1963 as a sisters' college; accepted lay students in 1965 .
Rhode Island
- Mount Saint Joseph College, WakefieldWakefield, Rhode IslandWakefield is a village in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and the commercial center of the town. Together with the village of Peace Dale, it is treated by the U.S. Census as a component of the census designated place identified as Wakefield-Peacedale, Rhode Island. South Kingston was...
(closed, date unknown)
South Dakota
- College of Saint Martin, HuronHuron, South DakotaHuron is a city in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 12,592 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beadle County. Huron was the home of now-defunct Huron University since 1897. Huron is also the home of the South Dakota State Fair...
(closed, date unknown)
Texas
- Mary Immaculate College, Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, TexasCorpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
(closed in 1965) - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Junior College, HoustonHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
(closed, date unknown)
Utah
- College of Saint Mary-of-the-WasatchCollege of Saint Mary-of-the-WasatchThe College of Saint Mary-of-the-Wasatch was a private, Catholic women's college, later St. Mary of the Wasatch High School, located in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1875 to 1969. It was operated by the Sisters of the Holy Cross....
, Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
(closed in 1969)
Wisconsin
- Divine Savior College, MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
(closed, date unknown) - Mater Dolorosa College, MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
(closed, date unknown) - Silver Lake CollegeSilver Lake CollegeSilver Lake College is a four-year, Catholic liberal arts college located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Green Bay. Founded as an academy in 1885 by the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, the college achieved four-year college status in 1935 and was then called Holy Family College...
, ManitowocManitowoc, WisconsinManitowoc is a city in and the county seat of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The city is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2000 census, Manitowoc had a population of 34,053, with over 50,000 residents in the surrounding communities...
(began admitting lay women in 1957) - Viterbo UniversityViterbo UniversityViterbo University is a Roman Catholic liberal arts university located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States in the Diocese of La Crosse.-History:...
, La CrosseLa Crosse, WisconsinLa Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
(began admitting lay women in 1934)
See also
- List of current and historical women's universities and colleges
- Women's colleges in the United StatesWomen's colleges in the United StatesWomen's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...