Education
Women's Firsts in Education
From the first woman to earn a college degree in 1840 to groundbreaking doctoral achievements, these women expanded access to knowledge for all.
2 firsts documented
education 1840 Who Was the First Woman to Earn a College Degree? Catherine Brewer Benson Catherine Brewer Benson received her Bachelor of Arts from Georgia Female College (now Wesleyan College) in 1840, the first degree granted to a woman by a chartered college. education 1877 Who Was the First Woman to Earn a PhD? Helen Magill White Helen Magill White earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Greek from Boston University in 1877, becoming the first American woman to hold a doctoral degree.