Mississippi University for Women

Columbus, MS (Lowndes County) — Public liberal arts university, est. 1884; home of the Owls; the first state-supported college for women in the United States and one of the first public institutions of higher education for women in the world; "The W," as it is universally known in Mississippi, began admitting men in 1982 but its founding mission and identity as a champion of women's education remains central to its purpose; consistently ranked among the top regional universities in the South; strong nursing, culinary arts, and education programs; located in Columbus, one of the most architecturally historic antebellum cities in Mississippi