Cultivating Intellectual Development: Comparing Women-Only Colleges and Coeducational Colleges for Educational Effectiveness

This study, using national surveys and multilevel models, examines the effectiveness of 4-year women-only and coeducational colleges in cultivating women students' intellectual development. No significant differential effect of attending either type of institution was discovered relative to students' critical thinking ability and analytical and problem-solving skills. Women-only colleges seem to provide neither a superior nor an inferior growth experience for female students compared with coeducational institutions. However, analyses suggest that women-only colleges have a significantly greater positive impact on development of intellectual self-confidence. Campus environment as well as college experiences of women students at women-only and coeducational colleges are discussed to explain the reasons for the differential institutional effect. Analyses also indicate that compared with female students in coeducational settings, students in women-only colleges are more likely to participate in college activities that are intellectually stimulating and cultivating.