A sisters' college is a college that primarily serves as a place for the education of future and current sisters and nuns. They are not to be confused with Catholic women's colleges, which are designed for general education programs and do not consider the education of nuns to be their focus.
Also known as "sister formation colleges," sisters' colleges are operated by congregations of religious women, such as the Sisters of Christian Charity or the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Catholic Sisters' College was founded and operated by The Catholic University of America located in Washington, D.C.[1] [2] Historically, they have made at least some of their courses open to lay women, and also men in some cases. Most feature a convent on their premises.
Although previously prevalent across the United States, there is only one currently in operation there, that being the Assumption College for Sisters in Mendham, New Jersey. Catholic women's colleges now serve as the primary providers of education to nuns in the United States, while many of the former sisters' colleges provide campuses for convents and other religious institutions, or have been transitioned into K-12 schools.
The following is a list of current and historical sisters' colleges. Ones listed in bold are still in operation: