Mills was founded in 1852 as the Young Ladies’ Seminary in Benicia, California—two years after California became a state. In 1865, missionaries Susan and Cyrus Mills (champions for equal education for women) bought the seminary and renamed it Mills College.
At Mills, you’ll find a challenging learning environment that values ideas, encourages debate, and empowers students to be creative, independent thinkers. You’ll have one-of-a-kind opportunities for scientific research, creative experimentation, and social advocacy. In and out of the classroom, you’ll critically analyze issues, develop new artistic forms, and solve real-world problems while working with faculty who are committed to your success. Here, you’ll be emboldened to think for yourself and for the world.
At Mills, you may practice research methods such as fieldwork, archival research, interviews, lab experiments, and interdisciplinary collaborations across numerous areas of study. You’ll delve into questions that no one else has answered before, develop creative problem-solving abilities, practice technical skills relevant to your chosen career, and gain insight into the topics and type of work that you’re most passionate about. In addition, Mills offers dozens of grants and special research opportunities exclusively for undergraduates.
The Mills career services team helps students tap into all of the professional opportunities that are available when you’re living in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area. At Mills, we call career services Career Connections and Community Engagement (CCCE) because we want you to do more than just get a job—we want you to engage with your community.
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2019. By rating institutions on a scale from 1 to 5, on multiple studies-related questions, we found the top educators in the world.
Learn more about the Global Student Satisfaction AwardsAttending college in another country is rewarding and, at times, challenging, so we provide personalized support and resources to help you achieve success. At Mills, you'll join a welcoming community where you can receive one-on-one attention to help ensure that your college experience will be empowering and life-changing.
Our international student advisors (ISAs) are dedicated to helping you navigate the immigration compliance process, work permits, and your academic and social opportunities. ISAs serve as a resource throughout your Mills journey, from your first day on campus through graduation.
We offer a range of housing options for both undergraduate and graduate students (families, too) depending on your class year and age, and we can accommodate students with disabilities, allergies, service or emotional support animals, and other special needs. We also offer 12-hour quiet housing and a gender-fluid living community.
Our residence halls and apartments have everything you need to make campus living a home away from home, including free Wi-Fi, laundry, kitchens, and 24-hour secure entrances.
Residence halls also include:
Apartment options include:
When you enter the light-filled F. W. Olin Library, you’re surrounded by centuries of knowledge spanning the arts and sciences. Search the catalog of more than 240,000 volumes or explore the Special Collections in the Heller Rare Book Room—which include thousands of rare books and manuscripts including a copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio, a Mozart manuscript, and a leaf from a Gutenberg Bible.
Mills is always looking for new ways to use technology to improve the academic and social experience on campus. The F. W. Olin Library offers 24/7 online access to articles, journals, and databases. Course materials, faculty webcasts, and group discussions are hosted on Blackboard.
At Mills, we support healthy living on campus in a variety of ways, from offering fresh, organic food options to providing wellness resources. As a student here, you can access the Student Health Center, our fitness center and athletic facilities, as well as connect with a network of campus and community resources that can help you make smart lifestyle choices.
Mills is based in Oakland, California, in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, with close proximity to Silicon Valley. Our location on the Pacific Rim ensures that you’ll have a world of opportunity to engage in a vast array of educational, social, cultural, and professional endeavors.
Mills gives you the opportunity to exercise both your body and your mind. We field six NCAA Division III varsity teams for undergraduate students led by top-notch coaches who are passionate about teaching and team building. Your coaches and teammates will challenge and support you as you achieve excellence—on the field, in the classroom, and in your life.
Our student clubs represent the interests and passions of our students. Some are social or political. Some celebrate shared identities, an academic subject, or a career path. Others center around hobbies or entertainment. If you don’t find a club that speaks to you, you can blaze a trail and start your own.
Mills College was founded in 1852 and has been fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) since 1949.
