Student-Faculty Ratio
9:1
Full-Time Student Population
3,022
Part-Time Student Population
109
Full-Time Instructional Faculty
297
Part-Time Instructional Faculty
74
Faculty with Terminal Degree
98%
Average Faculty Salary
$104,899
Full-Time Retention Rate
94%
Programs/Majors Offered
65
Academic/Career Counseling?
Yes
Class Sizes
- Fewer than 20 students: 67%
- 20 to 49 students: 28%
- 50 or more students: 5%
Instructional Programs
Occupational:
NoAcademic:
YesContinuing Professional:
YesRecreational/Avocational:
NoAdult Basic Remedial:
NoSecondary (High School):
NoSpecial Credit Opportunities
Advanced Placement (AP) Credits:
YesDual Credit:
NoLife Experience Credits:
NoDegrees Awarded
- Bachelor's degree
- Doctorate - Research/scholarship
- Master's degree
- Post-bachelor's certificate
- Post-master's certificate
Most Popular Majors
- Economics and Econometrics: 3%
- Political Science and Government, General: 4%
- Psychology: 4%
- Social Work: 5%
Graduation Requirements
Writing-intensive course
Special Study Options
- Study abroad
- Teacher certification (below the postsecondary level)
Other Academic Offerings
- Accelerated program
- Cross-registration
- Double major
- Exchange student program (domestic)
- Honors program
- Independent study
- Internships
- Student-designed major
Best Places to Study
- Atrium in the Brown Fine Arts Center
- Campus Center (try to get the comfortable booths in the café)
- Neilson Library, especially the alcoves
Tips to Succeed
- Don't be afraid to go to your professor when you're struggling. They're usually very understanding about individual circumstances and are happy to offer extra help or extensions.
- Don't be afraid to take a class pass/fail. It lets you experiment and enjoy the class without worrying about your GPA.
- Get involved. There are a ton of organizations on campus and at the other local colleges. Getting involved helps you meet different people and makes the school feel more like home.
- Get off campus once in a while. Even if you're not taking a trip to Boston or going home for the weekend, go to events downtown and at the other local colleges. It's very easy to get sucked into the Smith bubble and then feel really claustrophobic.
- Research professors before taking their classes. There are two survey databases online where you can read reviews from former students. These are invaluable in finding out which professors to stay away from and which ones to make an effort to take a class with.
- The Smith alumnae network is truly incredible. Many Smithies find summer internships and jobs after college through Smith alums, so use them as a resource early and often!
Did You Know?
- Smith students can take classes at any of the other schools in the Five Colleges consortium (Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Amherst College).
- Smith's founder, Sophia Smith, was encouraged to leave her fortune to Amherst College. Instead, she stipulated in her will that the money be used "for the establishment and maintenance of an institution for the higher education of women." Smith opened in 1875 with 14 students and six professors, and today, it is the largest women's college in the United States.
- In 1999, with the founding of the Picker Engineering Program, Smith became the first women's college to offer a program in engineering. In spring 2004, Smith graduated the first class of all-female engineers.