Campus beauty shot of Mount Holyoke's clocktower and gate. Taken in the summer of 2024 by Max Wilhelm.

Forged in dissent: Raise your voice for MHC

Higher education is under fire — and Mount Holyoke is meeting the moment. For nearly 200 years, we’ve championed educational inclusion for women and people marginalized on the basis of gender. Today, we remain a powerful force for changemakers and visionaries who refuse to accept the status quo. From our historic founding to our newest campus initiatives, Mount Holyoke proves what college education can be: a launchpad for fearless leaders and boundless learners. Discover how we’re uplifting others, challenging injustice and driving change — and how you can be part of it.

A group of diverse students listen attentively

The Mount Holyoke Experience

“We have the right to determine our own missions”

On March 17, President Danielle R. Holley spoke to “Here and Now” on NPR about the growing tensions between higher education and the federal government.

MHC’s principles

Mount Holyoke is a beacon of bold, values-driven education. We prepare students — across backgrounds, identities and geographies — to think critically, act courageously and lead with purpose. In this time of national division and global disruption, our mission remains constant and our commitment unwavering.

A vibrant, global community

Mount Holyoke’s global community is a point of distinction and pride. International students have been part of the Mount Holyoke community since the 1840s, and the unique perspectives that they bring — in and out of the classroom — elevate discourse and prepare our students to lead in an increasingly complex, global world. The current administration has implemented policies that threaten the legal status of international students, including visa revocations and potential deportation for minor infractions. These actions led to significant anxiety and confusion for students. MHC believes that international students are a vital part of our community and our campus.

Advancing research and discovery

Mount Holyoke is nationally recognized for its high level of undergraduate research activity, earning the prestigious Carnegie Classification as a baccalaureate college with “Arts & Sciences Focus and High Research.” We rank #1 among U.S. institutions for producing women who go on to earn PhDs in the life sciences and STEM — a powerful testament to our faculty mentorship, hands-on research opportunities and unwavering belief in the potential of every student. In an era when investment in research and scientific inquiry is increasingly politicized, Mount Holyoke remains fiercely committed to advancing knowledge that empowers individuals and serves the public good.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and accessibility

Mount Holyoke was founded to defy expectations based on gender roles and provide access to a transformational education to those who were historically excluded. For nearly two centuries, we have been relentlessly working to create a more just and equitable future, and are committed to having the challenging conversations and taking the bold actions required to realize it. The current administration has threatened to revoke federal funding from colleges and universities that engage in DEI and accessibility practices. The Department of Education also warned in a March letter that, if these efforts were not cut, they could face financial penalties or lawsuits. Anti-DEI policies put women’s higher education in jeopardy, and we refuse to implement them.

LGBTQ+ inclusion

As the first of the Seven Sisters colleges, Mount Holyoke has consistently led the way among women’s colleges. In 2014, we announced a groundbreaking admissions policy welcoming trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming students (TGNC) students, becoming the first — and most inclusive — of the Seven Sisters colleges to do so. The Trump administration has issued executive orders decrying “gender ideology” and restricting nationwide access to gender-affirming care for young people by threatening to withhold research and education grants from institutions that provide it to those who are under the age of nineteen.

Advocating for our community

A call for constructive engagement
This statement was developed in collaboration with university and college presidents and other educational leaders across the country, after national meetings convened by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. President Holley and Lynn Pasquerella ’80 are signatories, and as of May 1, 2025 there are 586 signatures.

Attacks on knowledge are attacks on democracy
On April 24 2025, President Danielle R. Holley spoke to WGBH about why the current administration is targeting higher education and why Mount Holyoke is fighting back.

President Holley defends American higher education
On April 18, 2025, President Danielle R. Holley spoke to “MSNBC Prime” about why she believes attacks on higher education are attacks against the fundamentals of our democracy.

A handful of college presidents emerge as leaders of burgeoning resistance movement against Trump
On April 9, 2025 President Holley was interviewed along with heads of several other elite universities that emerging as leaders of a burgeoning resistance to the president’s attacks on higher education.

President Holley on NEPM and “The Harvard Plan”
On December 17, 2024, President Danielle R. Holley spoke to both New England Public Media and the podcast “The Harvard Plan” about how higher education is not the enemy, as well as supporting students going forward.

‘No! Here's what we stand for': Western Mass. college leader urges higher ed to stand up to Trump
On December 17. 2024 President Holley spoke with WGHB.

Trans health care is a human right
On December 9, 2024, Mount Holyoke held a panel discussion “Trans Health Care Is a Human Right: On Safeguarding Gender-Affirming Care After United States v. Skrmetti.” Speakers discussed the case and its impact on transgender and gender-diverse people.

Mount Holyoke College designated a research college by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Don’t give in. Give to the MHC Forward Fund.

The MHC Forward Fund is a vital priority within The Mount Holyoke Fund that empowers President Holley and College leadership to respond with strength and agility to the most pressing challenges facing higher education today. In a rapidly shifting political and financial landscape, gifts to this fund provide critical, flexible resources to defend academic freedom, support students affected by global and domestic pressures, and sustain Mount Holyoke’s bold, inclusive mission.

Support Mount Holyoke now

Aerial photo of the Mount Holyoke campus

Areas of distinction

Championing Research
The Carnegie Foundation classifies Mount Holyoke as an Undergraduate Research Institution — a distinction recognizing our deep commitment to hands-on, mentored research opportunities.

STEM Leadership
MHC is the #1 baccalaureate source for women earning PhDs in life sciences and virtually tied for #1 among liberal arts colleges for women earning PhDs in all STEM fields.

Global Impact
Mount Holyoke has been ranked a Top Fulbright Producer for five consecutive years and 40% of our applicants reach at least semi-finalist status, and about 25% reach finalist status and are awarded.

Mount Holyoke students sitting at a table with open glass windows overlooking campus.

What has a Mount Holyoke education meant to you?

How has being part of the Mount Holyoke community shaped your life? And if you are a graduate of another women’s college or secondary school for girls, or are an advocate for higher education, please join us. Share your story and the ways you are responding to executive orders and current legislation.

Reflect on MHC’s impact

Find additional resources for the MHC Community on The Gates

Our impact—by the numbers

Students from 91 countries and 48 U.S. states.

27% domestic students of color, 21% international students, 18% first-generation.

Five vibrant identity-based cultural centers and a campus community rooted in belonging, resilience, and leadership.

91% of students complete internships, research, or study abroad.

67% engage in faculty-mentored research.

Programs like Lynk, Nexus, Sophomore Institute, Careers in Public Service, Semester in DC and Community Based Learning connect liberal arts education with real-world leadership.

95% of graduates are employed, in school, or participating in an internship six months post graduation.

The Carnegie Foundation classifies Mount Holyoke as an Undergraduate Research Institution — a distinction recognizing our deep commitment to hands-on, mentored research opportunities.

#1 baccalaureate source for women earning PhDs in life sciences and virtually tied for #1 among liberal arts colleges for women earning PhDs in all STEM fields.

Mount Holyoke's four academic centers bring together students, faculty and leaders from different disciplines and backgrounds to focus on challenging questions and interconnected answers.

Consistently rated in the top ten for The Princeton Review's “Professors get high marks” category, our world-class faculty is committed to mentoring students in their academic journeys. With an average student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1, professors challenge students to dig deeper and go further, to think thoroughly and to communicate confidently — ultimately empowering them to tap into their full potential.

Happening at Mount Holyoke

Making a difference

Dean Marcella Runell spoke at the annual Leadership and Service Awards.

Honoring student leadership and achievement

Mount Holyoke College students gathered to be honored by the community for their leadership and service to others.

Banner on a light pole in front of Safford Hall with a newly blooming tree in the background. Mount Holyoke campus, April 2025. Photo by Max Wilhelm.

Mandy Hart named dean of admission

The incoming dean of admission at Mount Holyoke College will start July 14, 2025.

Skinner Hall on Mount Holyoke Campus, with blooms and greenery in the foreground.

Youth Leadership Summit for Asian American justice

Senior Tehani Chandrasena Perera ’25 was selected to attend the eleventh annual Youth Leadership Summit of Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Washington, D.C.

More News

Inspiring change

For over 187 years, Mount Holyoke graduates have been changing the world. We are advocates, championing equality, dignity and access. We are STEM leaders, solving pressing societal issues. We are artists and storytellers, amplifying new voices and lifting up untold stories. Learn more about some of the inspiring alums leading the way.

More alums leading the way