| Wesleyan University, founded in 1831, is a small, private, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Wesleyan shares a common Methodist heritage with Ohio Wesleyan University (and with about a dozen other U.S. colleges and universities named after John Wesley), though both Wesleyan and Ohio Wesleyan University are now independent highly selective institutions. Originally an all-male Methodist college, its first attempt at co-education lasted from 1872 to 1912; the departure of the female students led directly to the foundation of nearby Connecticut College. Women were gradually readmitted to Wesleyan starting in 1970. Perhaps best known for the liberal arts, it does also offer a wide variety of sciences, which dominate the graduate programs available. It is one of the "Little Three" along with Amherst College and Williams College. The college is well known for its social activism and also its high percentage of students from minority backgrounds. It was a pioneer in world music, and one of the first American universities outside of Los Angeles and New York City to offer a program in Film Studies. |
