Mississippi University for Women Columbus

Mississippi University for Women Columbus is a public university in Columbus, Mississippi, and a member of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning system. Founded in 1884, it opened in 1885 as the first public college for women in the United States. The university now serves women and men while retaining a historic identity tied to expanding educational access. Its main campus is in Columbus, and it also operates MUW-Online and The W, a branch campus in Tupelo that extends the university’s reach in north Mississippi. The institution offers undergraduate and graduate education across arts, sciences, business, education, and professional fields. Its academic structure includes the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education; the College of Business and Professional Studies; and the Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Named programs and schools include the School of Education, the School of Nursing, and the Culinary Arts Institute. Mississippi University for Women Columbus emphasizes career preparation alongside liberal arts study, with programs that connect students to teaching, health care, business, public service, and creative disciplines. Student support and access are central to the university’s role. Mississippi University for Women Columbus enrolls students from Mississippi and beyond, provides online study options, and maintains a residential campus experience in Columbus. Its history, regional campuses, and professional programs position it as a higher-education institution serving the Golden Triangle region and a broader north Mississippi audience. The university’s mission combines academic instruction, graduate study, and community engagement, building on a legacy that began with women’s higher education and continues as a coeducational public university.