Stephens College

Stephens College was established in 1833 as the Columbia Female Academy. [ 2 ] In 1855 the school closed and in 1856 reopened as the Columbia Female Baptist Academy. The college changed its name to its current namesake in 1870, in honor of a $20,000 endowment by James L. Stephens. In 1933, the school officially began using 1833 as its opening date. [ 3 ] Prior to this time the school advertised itself as being organized in 1856. From 1921-1929, Jessie Burrall was employed as head of religious studies, and created a popular bible studies class. [ 2 ] [ 4 ] These mandatory classes became Vespers, a school tradition that persisted until the 1980s. [ 5 ] This was briefly revitalized in the 2010s as Stephens Unplugged. In the 1930s, Frances Rummell was a French instructor at the school. [ 6 ] In 1936, H. Bentley Glass joined the science faculty. [ 7 ] During World War II , the Pierce Pennant Motor Hotel was used by the aviation program for training and housing. [ 8 ] The historic Columbia Municipal Airport was also home to the program. [ 9 ] Lela Raney Wood Hall was built in 1938. [ 10 ] It was named after the wife of president James Wood. Originally purposed as a dormitory, over the years it has also served as an academic and administrative building. In 1995, the hall closed due to disrepair. In 2001, a fire caused additional damage. In 2002, Gretchen Bush Kimball (class of 1957) donated 2.5 million dollars for repairs, and the Kimball Ballroom was named in her honor. In addition to the ballroom serving as the main event space on campus, the ‘LRW’ is utilized as the administrative building on campus. The assembly hall was opened in 1948. [ 11 ] Jimmy Carter visited the campus and spoke at the auditorium in 1976. [ 12 ] On November 15, 1996, Bob Dylan performed at the Stephens Auditorium. [ 13 ] Through the 2000s, the building was underutilized and fell into disrepair.

[ 11 ] It was demolished in 2013 along with Hillcrest Hall, a dormitory, and the land was sold with plans for a scholarship-funded boarding school. Construction has yet to begin on the Hagan Scholarship Academy. [ 14 ] The annual Collections fashion show begun in 1944. [ 15 ] In 1945, Muriel King was hired as director of the Fine and Applied Fashion Department. The theater program begun its summer season in 1936. [ 7 ] The first season at the Okoboji Summer Theatre in Iowa opened in 1958. [ 16 ] Stephens has continued to produce plays here in the summer season, serving as an intensive program for students in the conservatory. Stephens Life was formed as the school newspaper in 1929 by Louise Drake. [ 4 ] The Stephens Standard was renamed to The PORTFOLIO in 1962. [ 16 ] This would become the Harbinger. The equestrian program begun in 1926. [ 17 ] Alongside this, the Prince of Wales riding club was also chartered in 1926. [ 4 ] Originally, a student had to have fallen off a horse in order to join the club. Sororities have been a part of the college since the early 1900s. The Eta chapter of Beta Sigma Omicron was on campus from 1902-1925. [ 18 ] In June of 2025, Shannon B. Lundeen became president of the college. [ 19 ]

The college follows a liberal arts curriculum and prior to 2024 had three schools: School of Health Sciences, Conservatory for the Performing Arts, and School of Integrative Studies. [ 20 ] The school is in the process of transitioning to two schools: The Women’s College (which comprises the School of Health Sciences and the School of Integrative Studies) and the all-gender Conservatory for the Performing Arts. [ 21 ] In addition to undergraduate programs, Stephens offers some graduate degrees: Master of Education in Counseling (with an emphasis in school counseling or clinical mental health counseling), Master of Fine Arts in Television and Screenwriting, and Master in Physician Assistant Studies. In 2024, the college launched a trade program. [ 22 ] Student outcomes According to College Scorecard , the graduation rate for Stephen’s college is 56%. For transfer students the graduation rate is 59%. The median income in 2020 and 2021 for graduates who matriculated in 2010 and 2011 was $43,071, with 65% of graduates making more than high school graduates. [ 23 ] According to Payscale , graduates make $55,700 in early career and $100,900 in mid-career. [ 24 ] The Center on Education and the Workforce estimated that the return on investment with a bachelors at Stephens is $26,000 10 years after graduation, this accelerates to $661,000 40 years after graduation. [ 25 ]

More information Undergraduates, Gender ... Stephens College student body as of 2023 [ 26 ] Undergraduates 532 Gender male 4% female 96% Race and ethnicity White 57% Black 10% Asian 1% Pacific Islander 0% American Indian or Native Alaskan 1% Hispanic 1% 2 or more races 8% Unknown 21% U.S. nonresident 3% Age Undergraduates 25 or older 16% Undergraduates under 25 89% Other Out-of-state students 39% In-state students 51% International students 5% Unknown 5% Close There are a few academic honor societies on campus: Mortar Board (inactive), Psi Chi , Alpha Lambda Delta (inactive), Sigma Tau Delta , Tri-Beta , Kappa Delta Pi , Phi Alpha Delta (inactive), and Sigma Eta Rho. Although Stephens College is no longer a two-year institution, it is the location of the Alpha chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society of the Two-Year College. Stephens College was one of the few women’s colleges to have nationally recognized sororities. As of 2024, Kappa Delta is inactive on campus. [ 27 ] Sigma Sigma Sigma has been inactive since 2020. The student magazine, Stephens Life , is online with a magazine printed once a semester. The college's literary magazine, Harbinger , is released each spring. [ 28 ] Stephens opened pet-friendly residence halls in 2004. [ 29 ] The college also allows students to foster shelter animals in exchange for scholarships. [ 30 ] The Warehouse Theatre is a student-run playhouse on campus which stages an average of four different productions per academic season. Ten Ideals Every year 10 graduating students are secretly selected to be the “Ten Ideals”. [ 31 ] Each student represents one of the ideals. Throughout the year the ten observe and honor students and faculty they deem as upholding the ideals. The identities of the ten are revealed at Honors Convocation.