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Barnard College is a highly selective private women's liberal arts college located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of New York City, across the street from Columbia University. It is one of the oldest women’s colleges in the United States and is officially affiliated with Columbia University, serving as the undergraduate college for women within the larger university system. This unique relationship grants students the best of both worlds: the intimate, supportive environment of a small, focused women's liberal arts college, coupled with access to the vast resources, co-ed classes, and athletic programs of a major Ivy League research institution.

The university was founded in 1889 by Annie Nathan Meyer and other women's rights advocates in response to Columbia University’s refusal to admit women to its undergraduate college. They named the new institution in honor of Frederick A.P. Barnard, the tenth president of Columbia, who was an ardent supporter of co-education. From its beginning, the university was intended to be an academically rigorous institution that would provide women with the same quality of education offered to men at Columbia. Over time, the relationship formalized: a 1900 agreement made the university an affiliated college, and in 1983, when Columbia College began admitting women, the university chose to maintain its independence as a distinct, co-equal liberal arts college, firmly committed to its mission of women's education.

This university maintains a highly respected position in American higher education, renowned for its commitment to empowering women leaders and scholars. The rare combination of its small, focused liberal arts curriculum, its position within New York City, and its symbiotic relationship with Columbia University creates an unparalleled educational proposition. Graduates emerge with a strong academic foundation from an elite women’s college, an extensive network from a major research university, and the invaluable experience of having lived and studied in a global hub. This powerful synthesis consistently prepares alumnae for exceptional achievement in diverse professional and academic fields worldwide.