Oakland, CA - Comments by Mills College President Janet L. Holmgren were prominently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle’s “College Bound Weekly Guide to Higher Education” by Joanne Levy-Prewitt on December 10, 2006. The article examined the distinctive strengths of women’s colleges and the kinds of students who attend them.

President Holmgren said, “Many leading women in Congress (Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.; Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco) are graduates of a women's college, and over 25 percent of all women in Congress attended women's colleges. These percentages translate to other fields such as business, medicine and law.”  

She continued, “A preponderance of female faculty members can also contribute to the academic benefits of a women's college. Unlike other institutions, about two-thirds of the faculty at women's colleges are female…young women really matter when they are the focus of the faculty."

President Holmgren pointed out, "If I were to look at the whole universe of educational opportunities, women get the best deal at a women's college. Unequivocally, a women's college offers a woman the best opportunity to stand out academically so she can prepare for any field she chooses."

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs for undergraduate women, and graduate degree and certificate programs for women and men. Consistently recognized as one of the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Mills currently ranks among the top 20 most diverse liberal arts colleges. The New York Times recently selected Mills as one of three leading California colleges for students to consider.

This year, the Washington Monthly College Rankings (September 2006) named Mills a leading liberal arts college based on community service, research spending, quality of preparation for graduate education, and social mobility. In addition, The Princeton Review’s annual guide, the Best 361 Colleges (2007) included Mills for the second year in a row among top U.S. institutions offering students an outstanding undergraduate education.

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California on 135 lush acres, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women’s leadership, social responsibility, and creativity.

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