The politics of women’s colleges in 2025

Students weigh in on whether Barnard still fulfills its founding mission in light of today’s campus climate.

Photo by Vernon Demir/The Barnard Bulletin

By Chase Taylor

November 6, 2025

Barnard College has always been political. From its controversial 1889 founding, a product of student activism against Columbia’s exclusionary policies, to its defiant refusal to merge with a co-ed Columbia in 1983, the history of the College is punctuated by moments of bureaucratic contention. Established with the aim to “provide the highest-quality liberal arts education to promising and high-achieving young women,” its creation reflects a clear feminist goal, but the politics around its identity have shifted dramatically. 

Does Barnard College still fulfill the same goals it was set out to when it was founded? It depends on who you ask, but for a number of students, the answer is a firm no. 

“True empowerment means trusting women to handle debate, dissent, and nuance,” said Christina Ma (BC ’28). “As a women’s college, it would be most feminist not to filter ideas but to cultivate intellectual courage — to foster a space where disagreement isn’t demonized but valued.” Ma’s critique mirrors a growing sentiment among students who feel that Barnard’s campus politics no longer reflect the intellectual risk-taking the College once boasted.

Some students point to the conclusion that while Barnard’s mission endures, it is undoubtedly altered. “I think the way we engage with the mission now is different than when I first got here,” asserted Sai Nadvarker (BC ’26). “I feel like the distinction [from Columbia] is still important, but the energy has changed.” 

Perhaps the clearest sign of students’ frustration towards Barnard’s mission is their hesitancy to express their opinions.

“I don’t feel like I can speak freely in this quote,” said a Barnard junior who asked to remain anonymous. They continue, “I think our mission has changed. I don’t think that we allow students to engage with politics in the way this institution inherently should.” A second Barnard junior added, “Barnard’s ethos is not really there anymore.”

These statements reveal a deeper student anxiety about whether this college, which once represented liberation, now fails to cultivate an atmosphere where open dialogue is welcome. 

Barnard affirms that it “prepares its graduates to flourish in different cultural surroundings in an increasingly interconnected world,” but its students have mixed feelings. 

“At Barnard, the political atmosphere can feel like a large-scale clique: disagree, and you risk quiet exclusion or gossip,” continued Ma. “Women’s colleges will remain relevant only if they prepare students to face a pluralistic world — not just the politically correct version of it.” 

These divided perspectives among Barnard students mirror a struggle faced by women’s colleges at large, as they strive to uphold missions of solidarity and empowerment while adapting to an evolving cultural and political landscape. While the United States once boasted over 200 women’s colleges in the 1960s, fewer than 30 are currently in operation, a decline largely attributed to debates regarding their continued relevance and the challenge of maintaining their missions amidst evolving societal expectations. 

Despite these ideological tensions, many students also feel that Barnard continues to embody the sense of community that drew them to a women’s college in the first place. Claire Cenovic (BC ’27) remarks, “I wanted to go to a college where women support and uplift each other, and I love how Barnard students want the best for each other.”

The sentiment among Barnard students about the importance of women’s colleges remains largely intact, but as Ma puts it, “the future of women’s education depends on whether these institutions can teach women not what to think, but how to think.” 

Ultimately, students sense that Barnard’s pursuit of its founding mission has changed and will continue to evolve. Though it still serves as a haven of community and support for many, growing student unrest reveals undeniable tension towards how that mission is being fulfilled today.