MBU History
Over nearly two centuries, Mary Baldwin has been a beacon of light on the hill: courageously elevating the leaders of tomorrow, embracing innovative academic programs, and offering relationship-driven liberal arts and professional studies education for all.
Founded for Women,
Led by Women
Mary Baldwin was founded as Augusta Female Seminary in 1842 in collaboration with Presbyterian ministers and citizens to advance the education of women.
Mary Julia Baldwin, an orphan and student during the seminary’s early years, returned to lead the institution. She fought tenaciously to keep the school alive during the Civil War and Reconstruction, while inspiring students toward higher achievement and academic excellence.
From Seminary to University
In honor of her leadership, Augusta Female Seminary was renamed Mary Baldwin Seminary in 1895, became Mary Baldwin College in 1923, and was accredited as Mary Baldwin University in 2016.
Through it all, our mission has stayed constant: expanding access to transformative education. We’ve advanced opportunities for women, adult and professional learners, early college students, students of color, first-generation, and low-income students—empowering lives, families, and communities.
A New Era of Co-Education
In the mid-1970’s, men were first admitted to MBU as day students and to graduate and Adult Degree programs. Men did not begin to live on campus until 2017, when MBU officially became a co-ed university. Athletic teams were expanded, residence halls redesigned, and our student experience enlivened by a greater wealth of experiences and perspectives.
A History of Our
Innovative Programs
Adult Degree Program
In 1977, the Adult Degree Program (ADP) invited non-college aged adults to start or complete degrees. By introducing transferrable credit for prior learning, hundreds of adults were able to continue their lifelong education.
The ADP paved the way for Mary Baldwin’s leading Online Program. Designed for students aged 17 to 70, these degree programs range from social work to education to business and more.
Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG)
In 1985, gifted and talented young women were invited to campus through PEG, one of the nation’s only collegiate level residential programs for women as young as 13.
MBU has given me so many opportunities to pursue different ideas and directions…that kind of intellectual freedom is extremely important to me.
Katie Keegan, PEG ’22
Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership (VWIL)
In 1996, the Supreme Court ruled that the Commonwealth of Virginia needed to provide equal opportunities for women to train for military service.
Mary Baldwin filled that need by launching VWIL, the only all-female cadet corps in the country. VWIL has graduated more than 500 women into all six branches of the military for leadership roles far and wide.
Office of Inclusive Excellence
The Office of African American Affairs (now Inclusive Excellence) was founded in 1996 to foster Mary Baldwin’s commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence, develop programming to promote cross-cultural sharing and exploration, and offer holistic support to students of color.
Students of color now represent more than 50% of MBU’s on-campus, undergraduate population.
Shakespeare & Performance Graduate Program
In 2001, the one-of-a-kind Shakespeare & Performance graduate program opened in close connection with Staunton’s American Shakespeare Center.
Offering MLitt and MFA degrees, the Shakespeare & Performance program trains graduate students to perform and adapt early modern theater for contemporary audiences.
Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences (MDCHS)
In 2014, MDCHS opened in nearby Fishersville, Virginia, right between Augusta Health and the UVA Health System.
Murphy Deming seeks to meet regional healthcare needs through physician assistant, physical and occupational therapy, nursing, and healthcare administration degrees with nearly 100 percent pass and placement rates.
Mary Baldwin’s Legacy
Today, nearly 1,800 undergraduate and graduate students study on MBU campuses in Staunton and Fishersville, as well as online.
With 60 percent of undergraduate residential students being Pell Grant-eligible, 50 percent students of color, and 40 percent first generation, Mary Baldwin is among the most diverse and inclusive campuses in the country.
“I went to Mary Baldwin; I have gained leadership and confidence. I could do anything … I could be anything … I could know anything … Mary Baldwin gave me the confidence to go for it.”
– Writer, Producer, Director, and Broadway Actor Stori Ayers ’09