Meredith College (MC)

Over 130 years ago, Meredith College opened with just over 200 women. Today, our student body has grown to include approximately 1,700 students from 30 states and territories and 43 countries and we're regionally and nationally ranked. We've been named one of America's Best Colleges according to U.S. News, and Princeton Review.

Meredith is located in Raleigh, North Carolina's capital city. In addition to providing recent graduates with strong job prospects, the thriving local economy gives students access to powerful internships, which are available for all majors. In fact, 31% more Meredith seniors participate in internships or field experiences compared with other college students nationally.

Additional hands-on learning happens through undergraduate research, study abroad, and community-based learning. Study abroad options include a semester-long program in Sansepolcro, Italy, with additional opportunities worldwide including Costa Rica, Iceland, and France.

More than 176,000 college students reside in Raleigh and the Research Triangle area. Meredith's historic 225-acre campus includes a 1,200-seat amphitheater, lake, six residence halls, and student apartments, a student center, fitness center, and athletic field and track complex.

StrongPoints® is a personal coaching model through which students identify their strengths and then build on them to prepare for the lives they want to lead after they graduate. More than 90 majors, minors, and academic programs give students a wide range of options for areas of study and committed faculty help students make the most of their strong potential.

Meredith students typically engage with the Office of Career Planning their first year. Professional staff will work with you to determine your ideal career path by helping you select a major, assess skills and talents, secure internships, participate in mock interviews, and negotiate your first employment compensation package. And StrongPoints includes a career-focused component and supports activities such as building a professional network, creating a portfolio, and strength-based coaching with certified counselors.

A network of more than 24,000 alumnae/i support one another after they graduate, many connecting through Meredith Mentors, an exclusive, online platform.

So what's the result of a Meredith education? 95% of our alumnae would choose Meredith again and 99% rated the value of a Meredith College education as good, very good, or excellent.

Located in the vibrant capital city of Raleigh, N.C., Meredith challenges students to discover what makes them strong, build on those strengths, and prepare to change the world. With more than 90 academic programs, an empowering community, world-class internships and study abroad experiences, and StrongPoints, a strengths-focused personal coaching initiative, it's no wonder 95% of our graduates say they'd choose all over Meredith again.

At Meredith, life outside the classroom is essential to your experience. Our athletes participate in ten NCAA Division III sports. You can join one of more than 100 clubs and organizations or foster school pride by organizing time-honored traditions. Help run our student government association. Perform in a play or ensemble. Engage with nonprofits and other organizations in the Raleigh area. Develop your leadership skills through more than 500 positions — all for women.

Students come from 30 states and territories and 43 countries
1,700 Approximate total enrollment
300 Approximate graduate enrollment
35% Multicultural students
30% First-generation students
14 Faith traditions were represented among first-year students in a recent survey

Undergrads at Meredith feel “bound by the school’s traditions and by [their sense of] sisterhood.” Overall, it’s a “very close-knit community” where the “prime trait … is being very supportive of one another.” While plenty comment that they’re able to interact with people from a variety of backgrounds (including non-traditional students who enroll later in life), race, and political beliefs, many also note that their peers feel “mostly white,” and that they hail from affluent backgrounds. Don’t let that fool you, though: The school is “becoming more diverse with every new class,” and one shares, “I feel like I meet unique and impressive people every class I have.” And no matter what crowd you’re drawn towards, “it’s easy to create strong friendships at Meredith.”

Because of the rigor of the school’s curriculum, the women of Meredith often find they “often don’t have time for much more” than studying. Their additional time is typically “composed of workouts [or] practices,” as many choose to participate in athletics on top of their schoolwork. They also almost universally praise the Big Sister/Little Sister program on campus, calling it “amazing” and a “wonderful tradition.” Those students with any free time left make the most of the campus’s “beautiful and … ideal location” and note that Raleigh itself is “a great city to live in.” There’s “always so much to do”: sporting events, concerts, museums, a state fair, and farmers markets just to name a few. However, students warn that Meredith has some “strict dorm rules,” so those looking for nightlife often head to Raleigh for that as well, especially over the weekend, where “most fun has to be found off campus” at schools like North Carolina State, which is “right down the road.”