Stephens College Evolves Its Admission Policies on Transgender Students

Founded in 1833, Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, is the second oldest women’s college in the United States. But the college addressed the issue of transgendered students far later than many of its peer women’s colleges. Many of the nation’s leading women’s colleges revised their admissions policies several years ago. A small group of women’s colleges – many of them with religious affiliations – have not addressed the issue with revised admission policies.

Stephens College recently announced that the college would now consider applications for admission from students “who were not born female, but who identify and live as women.” In the past the college admitted students who were born female but had transitioned and now identify as men.

However, the new policy prohibits the admission of all students who currently identify as men. Students who were admitted as women but transition to identify as male while at enrolled at Stephens will only be able to complete the current semester.