This book examines the role of women's colleges in the United States from the early 1800s to the present. It reviews how they began, how they changed as more colleges became coeducational, and the legality of publically supported single-sex colleges. The book also looks at what women's colleges are like today and examines differences in institutional effects for students who choose to attend women's colleges versus those who attend coeducational institutions. The four chapters, written by different authors, are titled: (1) "Women's Colleges in the United States, A Historical Context" (Elizabeth DeBra); (2) "Women's Colleges in the United States, Recent Issues and Challenges" (Irene Harwarth and Florence Fasanelli); (3) "Women's Colleges in the United States, A Statistical Portrait" (Irene Harwarth); and (4) "Women's Colleges in the United States, An Overview of Research and Questions for the Future" (Mindi Maline). An appendix contains 18 tables with data on enrollment by size and type of institution, by geographic region, and for selected years; degrees awarded; staffing at private 4-year colleges by occupational category, sex, and Carnegie classification; and average salary of full-time faculty at women's colleges by sex and Carnegie classification. (Contains 100 references.) (CH)