Does attending an all girls school really make a difference? The research speaks for itself.

1. Greater Cultural Competency
Girls’ school graduates help bridge racial and cultural divides.

When compared to coeducated peers, graduated of girls’ school are more likely to:

• help promote racial understanding

• value improving their understanding of other countries and cultures

• count their desire to understand others with different beliefs as a strength

• view their ability to work cooperatively with diverse people as strength

—Dr. Tiffani Riggers-Piehl, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Fostering Academic and Social Engagement: An Investigation into the Effects of All-Girls Education in the Transition to University

2. Stronger Community Involvement
Girls’ school graduates impact their communities.

When compared to coeducated peers, graduates of girls’ school are more likely to:

• become involved in environmental programs

• deem it essential to participate in community social action programs

• be frequently active in volunteer work

—Dr. Tiffani Riggers-Piehl, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Fostering Academic and Social Engagement: An Investigation into the Effects of All-Girls Education in the Transition to University

3. Increased Civic & Political Engagement
Girls’ schools graduate informed, globally minded changemakers.

• Graduates of girls’ school are committed to civic duty. When compared to their coeducated peers, they are more likely to plan to vote in elections and to value keeping up with political affairs and influencing political structures.

—Dr. Tiffani Riggers-Piehl, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Fostering Academic and Social Engagement: An Investigation into the Effects of All-Girls Education in the Transition to University

4. Fostering Her Voice
Girls’ school students strengthen their voice and are encouraged to speak freely without interruption.

• Academic studies and countless anecdotes make it clear that being interrupted, talked over, shut down or penalized for speaking out is nearly a universal experience for women when they are outnumbered by men.

—The New York Times, “The Universal Phenomenon of Men Interrupting Women.”

5. Develops Leadership Skills
Girls’ schools empower students to become bold leaders.

• At girls’ schools, girls demonstrate great confidence in female leadership and become increasingly interested in leadership positions themselves. Data suggests that girls at coeducational schools actually become less interested in leadership positions with age.

—Dr. Katherine Kinzler, Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago and Visiting Professor in the Department of Psychology at Cornell University

6. Builds Self-Confidence
A girl occupies every role in all-girls learning environments.

• Girls’ school students show more confidence compared to girls in coeducational schools, which might explain why girls in girls’ schools typically do better academically and are more likely to choose to study STEM subjects than girls in coed schools.

—AQR International

7. Dedicated to How Girls Learn
All girls learning environments capitalize on girls’ unique learning styles.

• To be successful, students need more than just a feeling of support. That support must translate into actions geared toward student success. Nearly 96% of girls’ school students report receiving more frequent feedback on their assignments and other course work than girls at coeducational schools.

—Dr. Richard A. Holmgren, Allegheny College, Steeped in Learning: The Student Experience at All-Girls Schools

8. Inspirational Environment
Girls take center stage in all-girls learning environments.

• The robust learning environment encountered by students at girls’ schools…provides unequivocal support for the value of an all-girls educational environment.

—Dr. Richard A. Holmgren, Allegheny College, Steeped in Learning: The Student Experience at All-Girls Schools

9. Academic Achievement
All-girls learning environments create a culture of achievement.

• Girls’ school graduates are more likely to frequently seek alternative solutions to a problem and more than 2/3 report frequently supporting their arguments with logic, which coeducated graduates are less likely to report doing.

—Dr. Tiffani Riggers-Piehl, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Fostering Academic and Social Engagement: An Investigation into the Effects of All-Girls Education in the Transition to University

10. Fosters Increased Interest & Confidence in STEM
All-girls learning environments champion the educational needs of girls as a group currently underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majors and careers.

• Girls’ school graduates on average report greater science self-confidence than coeducated peers in their ability to use technical science skills, understand scientific concepts, generate a research question, explain study results, and determine appropriate data collection.

—Dr. Tiffani Riggers-Piehl, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Fostering Academic and Social Engagement: An Investigation into the Effects of All-Girls Education in the Transition to University

11. Excellent Mentoring
Students in all-girls learning environments are supported by a community of peers, teachers, and school administrators.

• The overwhelming majority of girls’ school students agree to strongly agree that they feel supported at their schools: 95% feel supported by their teachers (compared to 84% of girls at coeducational public schools), 90% report feeling supported by other students (compared to 73%), and 83% feel supported by their school administrators (compared 63%).

—Dr. Richard A. Holmgren, Allegheny College, Steeped in Learning: The Student Experience at All-Girls Schools

12. Free From Stereotypes
In all-girls learning environments there are no stereotypes about what girls like or where they excel.

• Girls as young as six can be led to believe men are inherently smarter and more talented than women, making girls less motivated to pursue novel activities or ambitious careers.

—Dr. Sarah-Jane Leslie, Princeton University and Dr. Andrei Cimpian, New York University, Gender Stereotypes About Intellectual Ability Emerge Early and Influence Children’s Interests

13. Higher Aspirations
Students in all girls learning environments strive for greatness.

• Students at girls’ schools have higher aspirations and greater motivation than their female peers at coeducational schools. 99% of students at girls’ schools expect to earn a four-year degree. More than 2/3 expect to earn a graduate or professional degree.

—Dr. Richard A. Holmgren, Allegheny College, Steeped in Learning: The Student Experience at All-Girls Schools

14. Prepares Girls for the Real World
All girls learning environments engage students in activities that prepare them for life beyond the classroom.

• Girls’ school students display more mental toughness in comparison to girls in coed schools. Research shows that individuals with higher levels of mental toughness are more likely to deal effectively with stress, pressure, opportunity, and challenge.

—AQR International

Research provided by National Coalition of Girls' Schools