Baltimore Female College

Baltimore Female College (1849-1890) was a college for women in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first institution of higher learning for women in Maryland. Nathan C. Brooks served as its president.

It was founded in 1849. It was one of the earliest female colleges in the United States, after Georgia Female College in Macon and LaGrange Female College in Georgia and Wesleyan Female College in Cincinnati, Ohio, and one of several that were founded around 1950, including Mary Sharp College in Winchester, Tennessee. Seminaries for women were also established in the first half of the 19th century.

Baltimore Female College was affiliated with the Methodist Church.



Principal Rev. Beverly R. Waugh, son of Rev. Beverly Waugh, a Methodist Episcopal minister who spent most of his career in education, later went on to lead Pennsylvania Female College.

It was located on St. Paul Street. The college had collegiate and preparatory departments. Courses included languages, English, belle letters, drawing and painting, music, piano, guitar, vocal, natural sciences and mathematics. A normal department for teacher training was added. Annual reports were made to the General Assembly. The Fourth Annual Report includes information on faculty and the names of scholarship recipients.

It awarded medals. The college's annual catalogues also remain in existence.