Connecticut College

What is the history of Connecticut College?

Connecticut College was founded in New London in 1911 as Connecticut College for Women. Its creation followed Wesleyan University's decision to stop admitting women, giving students another route to a liberal arts education in the state.

The college admitted its first students in 1915. It became coeducational and adopted the name Connecticut College in 1969. Today it remains a private liberal arts college rather than a branch of the University of Connecticut or another institution with a similar name. Its history as a women's college helps explain its longstanding emphasis on access to education and participation in campus life.

What are the faculties and departments at Connecticut College?

Connecticut College organizes its undergraduate education around liberal arts departments and interdisciplinary programs, not separate undergraduate schools of business or engineering. Students can pursue bachelor's-level study across the humanities, arts, social sciences, and natural sciences.

Examples of majors include English, history, economics, psychology, biology, computer science, environmental studies, and studio art. The college's Connections curriculum asks students to relate coursework across fields through pathways, integrative courses, and other shared academic experiences. Specialized centers, including the Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy and the Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts, offer additional ways to connect academic work with projects or internships.

The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 9 to 1. That ratio describes staffing at the institutional level; it does not mean every class has nine students. Applicants interested in a particular field should check the current course catalog for its major requirements and how often required courses are offered.

What is the location of Connecticut College?

Connecticut College is in New London, a coastal city in southeastern Connecticut. Its residential campus sits above the Thames River, apart from but close to downtown New London.

New London has Amtrak and Shore Line East rail service, and regional roads connect the city with other parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Students should distinguish access to the city from access to campus: a trip arriving at the downtown station still requires local transportation. The setting combines a largely campus-based daily routine with nearby arts, community organizations, and potential internship sites.

First-year students are not permitted to register or park a car on campus under the reported parking policy. That restriction matters when planning trips home, off-campus work, or local errands.

What is the mission and vision of Connecticut College?

Connecticut College states that its educational purpose is to prepare students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society. This is an institutional aim, not a claim that every graduate will have a particular outcome.

The Connections curriculum reflects that aim by encouraging students to link disciplines and consider how classroom learning applies beyond a single major. International study, community-engaged work, research, and the arts provide possible avenues for doing so, depending on a student's interests and eligibility. The college is a private, coeducational liberal arts institution; applicants do not need a religious affiliation to attend.