Mary Baldwin College enrolls more than 2,000 students of diverse ages and backgrounds from across America and the world on the 54 acres of historic campus in Staunton, Virginia. The college also has five regional centers throughout the Commonwealth. From the college’s founding as the Augusta Female Seminary in 1842 under the visionary guidance of Rufus W. Bailey and through the leadership of Mary Julia Baldwin, the college established the highest standards of academic excellence for women’s liberal education through innovative programs and evolving tradition.

The successful creation of innovative programs is Mary Baldwin’s mark of distinction, where outstanding faculty offer students the richness and diversity of holistic liberal arts education in combination with leadership development, an emphasis on integrity and community service, and a strong tradition of student self-governance. Unique programs such as Quest help undergraduates integrate spiritual exploration, intellectual development, and service.

Mary Baldwin College’s Signature

The Residential College for Women … reaching new heights of excellence through the Mary Baldwin College Advantage.

Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership … the nation’s only all-female cadet corps.

The Program for the Exceptionally Gifted…a unique opportunity for highly talented young women to succeed in college among peers as early as age thirteen.

The Adult Degree Program … setting the standard in offering personalized opportunity for men and women to earn a bachelor’s degree.

The Master of Arts in Teaching … distinctively grounded in the liberal arts, inquiry-based, and incorporating college faculty and experienced pre-college teachers in every classroom.

The Master of Letters/Master of Fine Arts in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature in Performance … an unparalleled combination of scholarship and stagecraft, offered in partnership with American Shakespeare Center.