Scripps College

You arrive at Scripps College, founded in 1926 by Ellen Browning Scripps—a trailblazing journalist and philanthropist who poured her San Diego newspaper fortune into creating a haven for women's intellectual growth amid California's citrus groves. This all-women's undergraduate college, the women's counterpart in the Claremont Colleges consortium, shares a 1,000-acre village-like setting with Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer, letting you roam shuttle-free between campuses for classes, friends, and parties. Scripps draws independent thinkers who crave deep discussions on ethics, art, and justice, thriving in its supportive, aesthetically stunning environment of tiled fountains, rose gardens, and Balch Hall's grand staircase. But if you seek massive lectures or a co-ed undergrad vibe from day one, the small scale (just over 1,000 women) and deliberate femininity might feel confining before the consortium opens up.