Mills College at Northeastern University

Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland, California is now part of Northeastern University’s worldwide university family. It started a long time ago in 1852 in Benicia, California as a school called the Young Ladies Seminary. Later, in 1885, it was renamed Mills College and moved to Oakland in 1871. At that time, it became the second school just for women west of the Rockies. In 2022, Mills College joined Northeastern University, becoming one of its many campuses around the world. Today, it continues to offer special opportunities for students to learn and grow.

History

Mills College began as the Young Ladies Seminary in Benicia in 1852. It was started by Mary Atkins, who had studied at Oberlin College. In 1865, Susan Tolman Mills and her husband Cyrus Mills bought the school and renamed it Mills Seminary. In 1871, the school moved to its current home in Oakland, California. It became officially known as Mills College in 1885.

Over the years, Mills made many changes. In 1920, it began offering graduate programs for both women and men. In 1926, it started the first laboratory school west of the Mississippi for future teachers, now called the Mills College Children's School. In 1974, it became the first women's college to offer a computer science major.

Reversal of decision to go co-ed

In 1990, Mills decided to start admitting male undergraduate students, but after two weeks of student and staff protests, the decision was reversed.

First single-sex college to formally welcome transgender students

In 2014, Mills became the first single-sex college in the U.S. to welcome transgender students. The school allowed students who identified as women to apply, no matter their sex at birth.

Financial difficulties and re-visioning

In 2017, Mills faced financial difficulties and had to cut some faculty positions. In 2018, it reduced tuition by 36% to make education more affordable.

Merger with Northeastern University

In June 2021, Mills announced plans to merge with Northeastern University in Boston. After some legal challenges, the merger happened in June 2022, and the school became Mills College at Northeastern University.

Academics

Mills College at Northeastern University has many popular majors. In 2020–21, some of the most chosen majors were Psychology, English Language & Literature, Sociology, Health Policy Analysis, Biology/Biological Sciences, Child Development, and Fine/Studio Arts.

Accreditation

Northeastern University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

Faculty

Main category: Mills College faculty

Some well-known teachers at Mills College have been famous painters, musicians, dancers, writers, and scholars, such as Lyonel Feininger, Darius Milhaud, Luciano Berio, Pauline Oliveros, Hung Liu, Anna Halprin, Susan Stryker, Julie Chen, Ajuan Mance, Molissa Fenley, Maggi Payne, Chris Brown, Fred Frith, Roscoe Mitchell, James Fei, Kathryn Reiss, Juliana Spahr, Ellen Spertus, and Catherine Wagner.

Rankings (pre-merger)

In 2021, U.S. News & World Report placed Mills College highly in several categories. It was ranked number one for Best Value Schools and Best Undergraduate Teaching. It also shared the eighth spot for Most Innovative Schools and was twelfth among Regional Universities West.

That same year, The Princeton Review featured Mills in lists such as The Best 386 Colleges and Best Western Colleges. It was also noted for having students who were very open-minded and not very religious.

In 2020, Washington Monthly ranked Mills sixth among Master's Universities for helping society through education, research, and public service.

In 2019, Forbes included Mills among the top colleges in the United States. It was placed 343rd overall, 227th among private colleges, and 70th in the West.

Student life

Mills College had a close-knit community of students. In 2018–19, there were about 1,255 students, most of whom were women studying at the undergraduate level. By 2023–24, the number of students grew to around 1,037, including both new and returning students in different programs.

Students at Mills could join over 50 clubs and groups. These groups organized many fun events like art shows, dance performances, concerts, and special celebrations such as the Black & White Ball and Spring Fling. Students also had a say in running the college through the Associated Students of Mills College, which helped plan events and support student activities. The school had its own newspaper, yearbook, and several journals where students could share their work.

Athletics

Before joining Northeastern University in 2022, Mills College's sports teams were called the Cyclones. They competed in the NCAA Division III and mainly played in the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference. Mills had six women's sports teams: cross country, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball.

Right now, all varsity sports at Mills College at Northeastern are paused because of the merger.

Facilities

Trefethen Aquatic Center

The Trefethen Aquatic Center has a big outdoor swimming pool and a hot tub. Students, teachers, and their families can use it for free, while others can use it for a small fee. The center offers lap swimming, water aerobics, and swim lessons.

Meyer Tennis Center

The Meyer Tennis Center has six lighted courts used for fun, events, and competitions. People from Mills and some public visitors with keys can use the courts.

Haas Pavilion Fitness Center and Gymnasium

Students, teachers, and alumni can use the fitness center inside Haas Pavilion. The gymnasium there can be rented and is also open for general use by Mills community members.

Hellman Soccer Field

Hellman Soccer Field, along with its running track, is popular with Mills students, teachers, staff, alumni, and local community members. The field can be rented by the public.

Campus

The Mills College campus covers 135 acres (0.55 km²) in the foothills of Oakland, California, sitting on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay.

Notable campus resources

Center for Contemporary Music

The San Francisco Tape Music Center moved to Mills Campus in 1966 and later became the Center for Contemporary Music (CCM). The CCM is well-known for its work in music innovation and has archives with over 50 years of recordings. It includes studios for recording, music creation, and learning, and offers concerts and workshops for the community. Famous musicians have studied or taught at Mills, making it a special place for music.

F.W. Olin Library

The F.W. Olin Library has over 240,000 books and offers many online research tools. It has study spaces, technology for listening and viewing, and a special collection of rare books. The library is open almost every day and has a catalog that can be used online.

Mills College Art Museum

Main article: Mills College Art Museum

The Mills College Art Museum has more than 8,000 pieces of art, including works from famous artists. The museum is open to everyone and features changing exhibitions. Students help with research, design, and organizing shows, giving them hands-on experience with art.

Mills College Children's School

Founded in 1926, the Children's School has educated both children and Mills students since it began. It offers classes for young children and gives education students a place to learn about teaching. New students can no longer enroll, and the school will close on June 30, 2026.

Notable campus buildings

Mills Hall

Mills Hall was built in 1869 and became the college’s home when it moved to Oakland in 1871. It is a historic building, recognized as both a California Historical Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Betty Irene Moore Natural Sciences Building

Finished in 2007, this building was the first “green” building at Mills and the first in Oakland to earn the highest environmental certification. It includes modern labs and equipment for studying biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology. The building also has special outdoor spaces for learning and is next to a garden used for research.

Julia Morgan Buildings

Main article: List of works by Julia Morgan

In 1904, Mills president Susan Mills chose architect Julia Morgan to design buildings for the campus because she wanted to support a female architect and because Morgan charged less than others. Morgan designed six buildings, including El Campanil, a famous bell tower made of concrete that survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The tower has ten bells and is surrounded by beautiful plants. Other buildings she designed include the Margaret Carnegie Library and the Student Union.

Lorry I. Lokey Graduate of Business and Public Policy Building

Completed in 2010, this two-story building was the first business school in California to earn a high environmental certification. It has modern classrooms, technology for online learning, and a large gathering space. The building also includes porches and a garden area.

Mills College School of Education

The School of Education includes the Mills College Children's School, which opened in 1926 to help future teachers learn by watching real classrooms. Today, it serves young children and gives education students a place to study teaching methods. The school focuses on learning that fits each child's needs and brings together theory and practice.

Residential Halls

Mills offers ten places to live on campus, including traditional dorms, a housing cooperative, family housing, and apartments. The traditional dorms are Ethel Moore, Lynn Townsend White, Mary Morse, Orchard Meadow, and Warren Olney halls, spread out across the campus.