Trinity Washington University

Trinity Washington University, based in Washington DC, was historically a women’s college. Many of its programmes remain all-female, but the School of Education and School of Professional Studies are co-educational at both graduate and undergraduate levels.

The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur founded Trinity Washington University in 1897. Originally, the majority of students were middle class Catholic women. However, in response to a drop in attendance during the 1960s, the institution started reaching out to working women by opening a weekend college. This brought in a large number of women from diverse backgrounds, which has formed the student demographic of today. Around 67 per cent of students are black, 21 per cent are Hispanic, 6 per cent are white and 6 per cent are international.

Trinity Washington University has five academic divisions: the School of Education, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Professional Studies, the School of Business and Graduate Studies and the School of Nursing and Health Professions.

There are a number of active student organisations at Trinity Washington, ranging from the running club to Ladies Fierce in Research, Science and Technology (FIRST).

Student government councils act as liaisons between the student body and university leadership. The different academic divisions and year groups each have a council, along with special interest groups.

The Trinity Tigers, the university’s athletic teams, compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III in volleyball, lacrosse, basketball, tennis and soccer. Students are free to use the campus’ Center for Women and Girls in Sport, which has a swimming pool and spa, fitness centre and running track.