Smith College

Northampton, MA · founded 1871 · 2,600 students · liberal arts college

Known for: Smith College is one of the largest and most prestigious women's colleges in the United States, renowned for its strong emphasis on women's education, leadership, and the liberal arts. It is also famous for its pioneering engineering program for women and its extensive alumnae network.

Rankings

U.S. News liberal arts: #14
Forbes: #45

Top programmes

Engineering
Government
Psychology
Art History
Economics
Biology

Notable alumni

Julia Child — Celebrity chef and author who revolutionized American cooking
Betty Friedan — Author of 'The Feminine Mystique' and feminist leader
Nancy Reagan — Former First Lady of the United States
Sylvia Plath — Poet and author of 'The Bell Jar'
Margaret Mitchell — Author of 'Gone with the Wind'
Gloria Steinem — Journalist and feminist activist
Barbara Bush — Former First Lady of the United States
Madeleine L'Engle — Author of 'A Wrinkle in Time'

Traditions

Convocation
Illumination Night (lantern ceremony)
House Teas
Mountain Day (surprise fall holiday)
Friday Afternoon Tea

If Smith College were…

As a food: Ottolenghi's roasted cauliflower with tahini and pomegranate — Sophisticated, vegetable-forward, globally-influenced, unapologetically bold in flavor. Smith is intellectually adventurous, politically progressive, and never apologizes for centering women's perspectives—it's haute cui
As an athlete: Megan Rapinoe — Elite athlete who's equally known for her skill and her outspoken activism on gender equity and social justice. Smith produces women who excel in their fields while refusing to stay quiet about systemic inequities—perfor
As a person alive today: Rachel Maddow — Whip-smart, politically engaged, deeply researched, and unafraid to challenge power. Smith cultivates that same combination of intellectual rigor, progressive conviction, and articulate advocacy—women who do their homewo
As a historical figure: Betty Friedan — Author of The Feminine Mystique, catalyst for second-wave feminism, Smith Class of 1942. Smith's entire identity is bound up in educating women to question, challenge, and reshape societal structures—Friedan is the proto
As a movie or TV show: The Handmaid's Tale — Not because Smith is dystopian, but because it's where you'd train the resistance. Intellectual, feminist, fiercely protective of women's autonomy, and deeply aware of how fragile rights can be—Smith prepares women to fi
As a US president: Eleanor Roosevelt — Transformative First Lady who redefined the role through activism, intellect, and moral courage—never elected but profoundly influential. Smith women often work outside traditional power structures but reshape them anywa
As a city: Portland, Oregon — Progressive, artsy, fiercely independent, with strong feminist and LGBTQ+ communities, excellent food, and a commitment to sustainability. Northampton (and Smith by extension) shares that same politically engaged, cultur
As an element: Iron — Essential, strong, foundational to civilization, and literally what gives blood its oxygen-carrying capacity. Smith women are similarly fundamental—they build movements, sustain communities, and carry the oxygen of progr
As a car: Volvo 240 Wagon — Historic women's college producing Gloria Steinem and generations of activist intellectuals—Massachusetts progressive bastion with a no-nonsense feminist backbone. Swedish estate car: safe, sensible, endlessly reliable,

Campus life

Smith offers a vibrant, intellectually engaged campus life with a strong sense of community and empowerment among students. Social life includes house traditions (students live in residential houses), numerous clubs, and cultural events. The campus is politically active and socially conscious.

The film, scored

This profile answers “if Smith College were a movie or TV show?” with The Handmaid's Tale (2017). Not because Smith is dystopian, but because it's where you'd train the resistance. Intellectual, feminist, fiercely protective of women's autonomy, and deeply aware of how fragile rights can be—Smith prepares women to fight back. It sits in the 60th percentile on rankquant, which re-centres every critic score on the reviewer who gave it, so a percentile means position against peers rather than a raw star average. The full film & TV catalogue ranks the rest the same way.