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Located in the middle of Boston, the women鈥檚-centered Simmons University is a liberal arts center, offering its undergraduates more than sixty majors and programs, including a well-known nursing school. Some courses require field trips and city exploration or internships relevant to the course, while others involve projects that 鈥減lace students in volunteering jobs to work with the surrounding communities.鈥� 鈥淐lasses involve significant amounts of discussions and presentations,鈥� and with small class sizes, students generally get to know all of their peers. Similarly, students enjoy 鈥渢he ability to create strong personal relationships with professors and advisors鈥� and say that teachers 鈥渢ruly are there for you as human beings, not just professors.鈥� The workload is 鈥渉eavy, but always doable鈥� at Simmons, and clinicals tend to let students in earlier than many other schools would. 鈥淟abs go above and beyond鈥� here, and the school incorporates video lectures into its courses 鈥渟o that class periods can be more discussion-based.鈥� One student says, 鈥淓ven as a first-year I have already been given multiple research opportunities that amaze and excite me.鈥� There are many accelerated programs to which undergraduate students can apply in order to achieve a graduate degree at a faster rate (many at Simmons go on to graduate school), and employers are well-aware of the school鈥檚 curriculum, which requires every student to partake in 鈥渁t least one internship, clinical, research [project], or other type of real-world learning.鈥� 鈥淲hen I say I attend Simmons, people know I have received a quality education,鈥� says a student.

The women here are 鈥済enerally highly liberal and outspoken,鈥� and 鈥測ou have to find your niche.鈥� Students at Simmons are typically 鈥渁dvocates for a number of causes鈥� and are extremely political. A huge number are healthcare majors, and everyone is 鈥渋ncredibly passionate and intelligent [and] invested in the community.鈥� This group is 鈥渧ery centered around acceptance of various identities as well as female empowerment,鈥� and 鈥渢here is a theme of personal growth reflected in the gender identity.鈥�

There are two campuses at Simmons: academic and residential. The academic campus has 鈥渓ots of places to study,鈥� such as the library, multicultural center, and caf茅s, but most students stay on the residential campus when classes aren鈥檛 going on, and more than half live there. Most in this 鈥渘omadic bunch鈥� like to use their free time to explore Boston and surrounding neighborhoods, including nearby Fenway Park. 鈥淚 spend my days living my best city life,鈥� says a student. There are no parties on this 鈥渧ery academics-oriented鈥� campus, especially given the 鈥渟trict drug and alcohol policy.鈥� This is a campus of 鈥渁ll-around intellectuals who are serious about their careers after university [who] will more likely be found studying than partying.鈥� A lot of students work 鈥渆ither on campus or in hospitals or restaurants.鈥� Boston sporting events are popular pastimes, as is going to the gym, and 鈥渢here is always something to do off campus.鈥� Almost all students go out into the city only on weekends, as 鈥渢here usually isn鈥檛 anything going on on-campus,鈥� and they get discounts or free admission to many events or institutions, like the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, 鈥渂oth of which are right down the street from campus.鈥�

The Career Education Center (CEC) at Simmons University describes its approach as 鈥渁 marathon, not a sprint,鈥� and its Career Coaching team employs a hands-on 5-Step plan to support its students. First-year students are encouraged to take assessments and utilize online partner resources to explore various careers and determine their best-fit careers. Internships and networking events develop one set of hands-on skills while practicing with r茅sum茅 templates and mock interviews prepares students to demonstrate their accomplishments and state their goals, especially at career fairs. Through it all, graduates are supported through the Simmons Network. Students consider these efforts to be effective, with one explaining that 鈥渢he university does great at empowering students in their studies and careers鈥� and another stating that 鈥渘etworking and jobs after graduation鈥� are the school鈥檚 greatest strengths. In that regard, the school鈥檚 99 percent employment (or continuing education) rate within six months speaks for itself, with 85 percent of graduates pursuing fields related to their major鈥攅specially for those involved in STEM or Nursing programs. At least 55 percent of the graduates report to PayScale that they find their jobs to be meaningful, and the median salary for those early in their careers is $68,800.