Connecticut College Connecticut College ( Conn College or Conn ) is a private liberal arts college located in New London , in the U . S . state of Connecticut . The college was founded in 1911 , as " Connecticut College for Women " , in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women ( the college shortened its name to " Connecticut College " in 1969 when it began admitting men ) . The campus is located on the Thames River , overlooking the Long Island Sound on the highest point in New London . It is a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference ( NESCAC ) , and is considered to be among the group of colleges called the " Little Ivies . " " Forbes " ranked Connecticut College 70th in its 2012 overall list , and 40th among liberal arts colleges and " U . S . News and World Report " ranked the school 41st among the top liberal arts colleges in 2012 . Known for its interdisciplinary academic centers , Connecticut College is in the midst of a major fundraising and building campaign . Over the past several years the college has renovated many of its older dormitories , completed numerous classroom renovations , and constructed a new fitness center . The college recently completed a $ 25 million renovation of the Science Center at New London Hall , and is continuing to renovate the remainder of its older dormitories and classroom spaces . Connecticut College ' s fourth strategic plan ( 2004 ) introduced the college ' s new mission statement : " Connecticut College educates students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society . " The college also adopted a set of values statements indicating its commitments to Academic Excellence ; Diversity , Equity , and Shared Governance ; Education of the Entire Person ; Adherence to Common Ethical and Moral Standards ; Community Service and Global Citizenship ; and Environmental Stewardship . The college ' s 2013 - 14 comprehensive fee ( covering tuition , fees , room and board ) is $ 58 , 780 . The college points out , " If you qualify for financial aid , you and your family could pay less than you might at a school with much lower tuition and fees . " To this point , the average grant award ( financial aid that a student does not have to pay back ) at Connecticut College is about $ 30 , 390 . Furthermore , 48 % of enrolled Connecticut College students receive some form of financial aid ( totaling more than $ 28 . 9 million in financial aid awarded in 2010 - 2011 ) , with 85 % of the financial aid budget in the form of grants . Overall , the average financial aid award is $ 32 , 708 . History and overview . Chartered in 1911 , the founding of the college was a response to Wesleyan University ' s decision to stop admitting women . Female Wesleyan alumnae , notably Elizabeth C . Wright , convinced others to found this new college , espousing the increasing desire amongst women for higher education . Several large gifts of land gave the college its hilltop location overlooking Long Island Sound . Financial assistance from the city of New London , its residents , and a number of wealthy benefactors gave the college its initial endowment . According to an Oct . 12 , 1935 article in the " Hartford Daily Times " , marking the College ' s 20th anniversary : " On September 27 , 1915 , on this beautiful site , the college opened its doors to students . The entering class was made up of 99 freshmen students , candidates for degrees , and 52 special students , a total registration of 151 . A fine faculty of 23 members had been engaged and a library of 6 , 000 volumes had been gathered together . It was an auspicious start for this new undertaking . " Connecticut College has been continuously accredited since 1932 by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges . In a typical year , the college enrolls about 1 , 900 men and women from 40 - 45 states , Washington D . C . , and 70 countries . Approximately forty percent of students are men . The college is now particularly known for interdisciplinary studies , international programs and study abroad , funded internships , student - faculty research , service learning , and shared governance . Under the college ' s system of shared governance , faculty , staff , students , and administrators are represented on the major committees that make policy regarding the curriculum , the budget , and the campus and facilities . Students live under the college ' s 85 - year - old student - adjudicated Honor Code and without a Greek system . The Honor Code , which distinguishes Connecticut College from most of its peers , underpins all academic and social interactions at the college and creates a palpable spirit of trust and cooperation between students and faculty . Other manifestations of the code include self - scheduled , unproctored final exams . According to The Princeton Review 2005 and Campus Compact , Connecticut College is one of the nation ’ s best colleges for fostering social responsibility and public service . As illustrated by a January 2011 ranking , Connecticut College is typically among the 25 top small colleges in terms of the number of graduates who serve in the Peace Corps . Connecticut College is a member of Phi Beta Kappa , the Annapolis Group , and the New England Small College Athletic Conference ( NESCAC ) . A reciprocal exchange agreement with the United States Coast Guard , allows cadets from the nearby USCG Academy to take some courses at the college , and Connecticut College students may take courses at the academy . Academics . The college offers more than a thousand courses in 29 academic departments and 7 interdisciplinary programs , and students can choose from 45 traditional majors plus opportunities for self - designed courses of study . The 10 most common majors over the last five years have been English , Economics , Psychology , Government , History , Biological Sciences , International Relations , Anthropology , Human Development , and Art . About 30 % of Connecticut College students in recent years have graduated with double majors . The most common double - major combinations are Government / History , Economics / International Relations , and Economics / Government , but graduates in recent years have also chosen interdisciplinary combinations such as Art / Computer Science , Film Studies / Latin American Studies , Biological Sciences and Religious Studies , and Art History / Italian . Admission to the college is selective . There were 4 , 837 applications for admission in 2012 : 1 , 734 were admitted ( 35 . 8 % ) and 503 matriculated ( 29 % ) . The college ' s First - Year Seminar Program provides student - faculty engagement in a small , intellectually stimulating setting in their first semester . Connecticut College has four interdisciplinary centers that administer certificate programs , plus a fifth center that facilitates the teaching and researching of race and ethnicity across the curriculum . If accepted into one of the college ' s four certificate programs , students of any major complete a self - designed series of courses that relate to their academic interest , complete a college - funded summer internship , and complete an integrative project in their senior year . These four centers routinely attract the college ' s best students and are a model for the kinds of integrated educational pathways the college offers its students . Campus and facilities . The main campus has three residential areas . North Campus contains the newest residential halls ( Morrisson , Wright , Lambdin , Park , Johnson — formerly Marshall — and Hamilton , collectively known as " The Plex " ) , all of which are connected to each other and Harris Dining Hall . South Campus contains residence halls along the west side of Tempel Green ( Harkness , Jane Addams , Freeman , Knowlton , and Windham ) , across from several academic buildings . Central Campus contains the oldest residence halls ( Burdick , Smith , Larrabee , Plant , Branford , Blackstone , Katharine Blunt , and Lazrus ) and is the closest to the student center and the library . Students also have several less traditional housing options , including the 360 Apartments , River Ridge and Winchester Apartments , Earth House , and Abbey House . A few students also live off - campus in New London or Waterford . The college ' s science facilities include the completely refurbished Science Center at New London Hall , a rooftop observatory , lab for NMR spectroscopy , a digital transmission electron microscope , a scanning electron microscope , a greenhouse , a channel flow laboratory , a GIS lab , and a 1 MeV Pelletron ion accelerator . Its computer facilities include standard UNIX and PC labs as well as specialized labs in robotics , networks , virtual reality and digital signal processing . The robotics lab is equipped with Sun workstations , PCs , robots , and overhead cameras . The virtual reality and signal processing lab ( which is also part of the Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology ) has high - end graphics PCs , head - mounted displays , 3 - D trackers , force feedback devices , spatialized audio devices , and software for producing high - end animations and graphics . The departments of the fine arts are located in three places around campus . The Cummings Arts Center contains two concert halls , the Center for Electronic and Digital Sound , pianos , practice rooms , a pipe organ . The Art and Music departments and their classrooms and studios are also housed in Cummings . Surrounding the Arts Center are numerous sculptures , especially in the courtyard known as Castle Court . This lies between Cummings and the largest of the college ' s performance spaces , Palmer Auditorium . The Theater Department has offices in Palmer , and has classes on the main stage , in a smaller classroom in Palmer , and in Tansill Theater , which is further north , near the main entrance . The Dance Department is housed on the third floor of the student center , and includes three dance studios . There are three libraries on the campus . Shain Library houses a collection of more than 500 , 000 books and bound periodicals , along with an extensive collection of microforms , computer files , audio and video tapes . The library is also home to the Charles Chu Asian Art Reading Room , a space used for studying , public lectures , and receptions . In 2004 , the " Blue Camel Cafe " opened in the library basement , selling coffee , tea , pastries and other items to studying and socializing students . The Greer Music Library in Cummings Arts Center holds books and periodicals about music and musicians , printed music , and numerous recordings . The chapel library , in the basement of Harkness Chapel includes volumes and periodicals related to religious studies and social justice . Athletics . Connecticut College teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ' s Division III . The Camels are a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference ( NESCAC ) . Men ' s sports include basketball , cross country , ice hockey , lacrosse , rowing , soccer , squash , swimming & diving , tennis , track & field and water polo ; while women ' s sports include basketball , cross country , field hockey , ice hockey , lacrosse , rowing , sailing , soccer , squash , swimming & diving , tennis , track & field , volleyball and water polo . Notable alumni . Connecticut College graduates of note include " The Atlantic " senior editor Joshua Green , AOL CEO Tim Armstrong , " New York Times " best - selling authors Sloane Crosley and David Grann , fashion designer Peter Som , and philanthropist Nan Kempner .