About us
About Smith
Founded in 1871 as a private college with a mission to provide women with an excellent liberal arts education, Smith is one of the top 20 liberal arts colleges in the country. Primarily an undergraduate residential college, Smith distinguishes itself in many ways. With more than 2,300 undergraduates, approximately 300 faculty members, and an 8:1 student to faculty ratio, Smith’s enrollment and faculty size enable it to combine the curricular breadth of a small university with the close personal attention of a residential liberal arts college. Nearly 150 years ago, Sophia Smith expressed her vision of a liberal arts college for women equal to the best available to men. By means of such a college, she wrote in her will, women’s “wrongs will be redressed, their wages adjusted, their weight of influence in reforming the evils of society will be greatly increased...their power for good incalculably enlarged.” In keeping with Sophia Smith’s intent, the college aims to produce graduates distinguished by their intellectual capabilities, their capacity for leadership, their ethical values, and their readiness to contribute to the betterment of the world. Today, Smith is among the largest of the selective liberal arts colleges and offers a broad curriculum. Its programs in the arts, humanities, and social and natural sciences have expanded to respond to the intellectual interests of today’s students. A supportive academic environment is complemented by a housing program in which most students live in residential houses accommodating from 10 to 100 students. Smith students are passionate and motivated about civic issues; its faculty are engaged and productive scholars in their fields and devoted to teaching; and its staff are true collaborators with faculty and administrators.
Smith's campus is renowned for its splendor and extraordinary facilities. Tree-lined paths, views of Paradise Pond, and numerous lawns and gardens – including the Japanese Garden, Neilson Lawn, and Rock Garden – contribute to the campus' beauty. Facilities of note include a light-filled 60,000-Campus Center named for Smith alumna Julia McWilliams Child; the Smith College Museum of Art in the Brown Fine Arts Center; and Ford Hall, a spectacular science and engineering facility designed to blur the boundaries between traditional disciplines. The renovated Neilson Library, which opened in 2022, was designed by renowned architectural designer Maya Lin. The campus is ideally situated just steps from the center of Northampton, Massachusetts, a city of 30,000 that is home to a vibrant social and cultural scene. Northampton has an Amtrak station and is just 30 minutes from Bradley International Airport in Hartford County, Connecticut. Smith is a member of the Five Colleges consortium, which affords students a wide range of academic, cultural, and social advantages. The consortium, a unique private/public partnership among Hampshire, Smith, Amherst and Mount Holyoke Colleges and the University of Massachusetts, is one of the oldest and most esteemed in American higher education. Smith College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Its current accreditation cycle culminates in 2027. Meanwhile, the college has begun to plan for its sesquicentennial celebrations in 2025. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 151B, it is the policy of Smith College to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact Kim Kenney-Rockwal (kkenneyrockwal@smith.edu). As set forth in its mission and values, Smith College is committed to promoting a culture of equity and inclusion among students, staff and faculty. The college will not discriminate in employment on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or any other classification protected by law. Smith College is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination.