Why an All-Girls' School?

Research shows that girls thrive in an all-girls' environment. Classrooms are not dominated by boys, as they often are in coed schools. And by holding all the student leadership positions, girls learn the important lessons and the considerable rewards of leading.

At Salem Academy, for more than two centuries, we have encouraged, challenged, and supported young women as they grow to fulfill their immense potential.

The National Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS) conducts regular surveys of alumnae from its member schools. Recent research continues to confirm the relevance and importance of an all girl educational setting.

2005 Young Alumnae Survey: The Girls' School Experience

Recent graduates of single-sex schools for girls report high levels of satisfaction with their educational experience and their preparedness for college, according to a study performed for NCGS by the Goodman Research Group, Inc. The survey of more than 1,000 alumnae of the Class of 2004 from 61 girls’ schools nationwide found that:

• 95% of survey respondents were very or extremely satisfied with their schools’ ability to provide a rigorous academic curriculum
• 93% were very or extremely satisfied with their preparation for the academic challenges of college
• 90% would probably or definitely attend a girls’ school if they had to do it all over again

Another Goodman Research Group, Inc. survey (Achievement, Leadership & Success: A Report on Educational, Professional, and Life Outcomes at Girls' Schools in the United States), that was conducted in 2000, surveyed 4,274 alumnae from the graduating classes of 1983, 1987, 1991 and 1995 at 64 NCGS schools provided data quantifying their experiences.

• Overall, 71% of girls' school alumnae felt more prepared to transition to college than their counterparts from coed high schools.

• In science and math, NCGS alumnae majored at a higher rate than females and males nationally (13% NCGS, compared to 2% females and 10% males nationally, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics).

• The majority of alumnae (72%) either somewhat or strongly agreed that girls' schools are more relevant to young women's personal and social needs than are coed schools. Similarly, nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents agreed (somewhat or strongly) that girls' schools prepare young women for the "real world."
• Nearly all the respondents (93%) either somewhat or strongly agreed that girls' schools provide greater leadership opportunities than coed schools.
• There also was marked agreement that girls' schools are more relevant to young women's academic needs than are coed schools (91% somewhat or strongly agreed), that young women should be encouraged to attend girls' schools (87%), and that girls' schools provide young women with more encouragement in the areas of science, math, and technology than do coed schools (85%).

Please visit the website for the National Coalition of Girls' School for more information: www.ncgs.org.