Elmira College

Elmira College is a private, coeducational, Phi Beta Kappa college located in Elmira, New York. Founded in 1855, Elmira was the first college for women with a course of study equal in rigor to the best men's colleges. “Female seminaries” as they were called at the time, were essentially glorified high schools. In contrast, from its very inception, Elmira College offered rigorous academic programs. Becoming coeducational in 1969, today Elmira has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 800 full-time, mostly residential students. The College also offers advanced certificates, master's degree programs, and non-credit courses for professional development. As the guardian of Quarry Farm, where Mark Twain summered for decades and wrote many of his most iconic novels, Elmira College is home to the Center for Mark Twain Studies, one of four nationally recognized Twain sites that serves as a research center for visiting Twain scholars. Grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, Elmira College provides a collaborative and supportive environment that enables students to become active learners, effective leaders, responsible community members, and globally engaged citizens. Proud of its history and tradition, the College is committed to the ideals of community engagement and intellectual and personal growth.