About Us
For Nearly 200 Years, Stephens Has Changed Lives.
You Can Help Us Change More.
In 1833, when higher education for women was a radical idea, Stephens College opened its doors in Columbia, Missouri, as the Columbia Female Academy. Nearly two centuries later, we stand as the second-oldest women's college in the nation – and one of the most consequential. From that first classroom to today's innovative programs, one truth has held steady: Stephens transforms lives, and those lives transform the world.
Why Your Gift Matters
Every scholarship funded. Every historic building preserved. Every stage lit, every horse stabled, every young mind sparked in our Children's School – none of it happens without you.
When you give to Stephens, you're not writing a check. You're joining a 193-year chain of believers who understood that education is the most powerful gift one generation can leave the next. You're standing with James L. Stephens. You're standing with every alumna who ever crossed the bridge. You're standing with the student who will cross it tomorrow — and who, because of you, will have the chance to Learn, Grow, and Lead.
This is Stephens. This is our legacy. And with your partnership, our best chapters are still ahead.
Give today. Change tomorrow. Honor forever.
An Impact Over
the Centuries
Our mission holds nearly two centuries of purpose.
Today, Stephens continues to expand what a Stephens education can be:
- World-class undergraduate programs for women, rooted in mentorship and experiential learning
- The gender-inclusive Conservatory for the Performing Arts, training the next generation of storytellers
- Innovative graduate programs, including our celebrated MFA in TV and Screenwriting
- The Children's School, nurturing the youngest learners in our community since 1925
The Traditions That Bind Us
Ask any Stephens graduate what she remembers, and she'll tell you: it's the traditions that made her. Crossing the Bridge. Honors Convocation. The reveal of The Ten. The quiet strength of Historic Senior Hall, standing since 1841 on the National Register of Historic Places. These aren't rituals — they're the connective tissue linking every Susie who has ever walked this campus, from 1833 to today.
A Legacy Written by Trailblazers
Stephens has never followed. We've led.
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1833
Stephens College Opens
Columbia Female Academy opens under the helm of Lucy H. Wales.
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1870
Stephens College is Renamed.
James L. Stephens endows the College with $20,000, and the institution is renamed in his honor.
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1921
The Ten Ideals are Formed.
In 1921, we established The Ten Ideals – a living code of values, from courage and independence to integrity and leadership, that generations of Stephens women have carried into every corner of the world.
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1926
Prince of Wales Riding Club is Founded.
In 1926, the Prince of Wales Riding Club was founded – still the oldest continuously active collegiate riding club in America.
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1944
Introduced the First Aviation Program for Women.
In 1944, while the country was at war, Stephens launched the first aviation program for women in the United States, teaching young women to fly when the sky was still considered a man's frontier.
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1970
Debuted Stephens Without Walls.
Stephens debuts Stephens Without Walls (now the Graduate, Online and Certificate Programs).
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2004
Launching Our Pet-Friendly Campus
Stephens becomes a pet-friendly campus and later earns the title of the pet-friendliest college.
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2006
Citizen Jane Film Festival begins at Stephens College.
The festival grew from the Citizen Jane Film Lecture Series, which brings working film industry professionals to campus to share insights and experiences.
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2014
Gifted with Donation & Launches New Graduate Programs
Stephens receives a $15 million unrestricted gift, the largest in the College’s history.
- Stephens adds two new graduate programs: a Master of Physician Assistant Studies and a low-residency Master of Fine Arts in TV and Screenwriting, with 10 days of intensive on-site classes each semester at Jim Henson Studios in L.A.
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2016
Center for Health Sciences opens its doors & Jeannene Booher Fashion Lecture Series launches.
The Master in Physician Assistant Studies program, which makes its home in the Center, welcomes it first cohort. The College announces a $1 million gift in support of the program.
- The College receives a $1 million gift from fashion designer and alumna Jeannene Booher and introduces the Jeannene Booher Fashion Lecture Series.
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2018
College Affordability Plan is Announced.
The Stephens Solution College Affordability Plan reduces tuition by $8,250 (Fall ’19). Made possible by a strategic combination of donor support and financial planning, the plan addresses families’ concerns about college affordability even while maintaining the exceptional academic programs that are the hallmark of a Stephens education.
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2019
Stephens Makes Impact in All Disciplines.
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) names Stephens College a Champions of Character Five-Star Institution for the 10th straight year (2018-19).
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The Alpha Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society of two-year colleges and academic programs, returns to the Stephens campus. The College offers scholarships for PTK members.
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The charter class of the Stephens College Master in Physician Assistant Studies program achieves a 100% first-time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE).
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Weaver Commons opens on the Okoboji Summer Theatre campus complete with a modernized kitchen, more rehearsal room and green space as part of a multi-year renovation plan that also includes new cottage-style housing.
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2020
Launches Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Stephens announces its partnership with Boone Health to develop a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
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2022
Gender-Inclusive Conservatory of the Performing Arts is Launched.
Stephens launches the Conservatory for the Performing Arts, offering intensive BFA programs that welcome all gender identities.