Why an All-Girls School?

All-girls schools like Presentation provide a rich learning experience in which a young woman’s attention is focused on her education and free of distraction. In this safe, supportive environment, girls feel confident and aren’t shy about participating or trying new things. They evolve into authentic leaders in their classrooms, clubs, and community.

This unique education shapes graduates who have stronger academic tendencies than their co-ed counterparts in a number of categories. A 2009 UCLA study found that students at an all-girls school demonstrated higher levels of academic achievement, higher SAT scores, and more confidence in mathematical ability and computer skills. Young women from single-sex high schools also show higher levels of political engagement, greater interest in engineering careers, and measurably more self-confidence in public speaking.

The UCLA study also showed that:

  • Graduates of single-sex schools spend more time studying, talking with teachers outside class, tutoring peers and studying with others: 60 percent of girls-school graduates spent more than 11 hours per week on studies, as opposed to 42 percent from co-ed schools.
  • In math and computer skills, graduates of girls schools rate their confidence at the start of college 10 percent higher than do their co-ed counterparts.
  • Nearly half of female graduates of single-sex schools rate their public speaking ability as high, with just 38.5 percent reporting the same in co-ed schools.
  • In single-sex schools, political dialogue thrives: Nearly 60 percent of girls’ school graduates report discussing politics in class and with friends, as compared to 47.7 percent in co-ed schools.

Additionally, a 2005 U.S. Department of Education report (“Single-Sex versus Coeducational Schooling: a Systematic Review”) compiled the results of 44 studies on the topic. It found that single-sex education for girls yields superior academic accomplishment, superior socio-emotional development, improved test scores and better long-term indicators for success. Nearly 70 percent of the studies found girls’ schools to be associated with higher scores on academic achievement tests, and 100 percent showed single-sex institutions to be associated with a superior climate for learning and higher career aspirations.  For more articles regarding single-sex education, please click on the links to the right.

For more information on single-sex education, visit the web site for the National Coalition of Girls Schools.