View source for Trinity Washington University

{{Short description|Catholic university in Washington, D.C.}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2012}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Trinity Washington University
 | native_name            = 
 | latin_name             = 
 | image                  = Logo-Trinity-Washington-University.jpg
 | image_size             = 200px
 | motto                  = 
 | established            = 1897 (128 years ago)
 | type                   = [[Private university]]
 | affiliation            = [[Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur]]
 | religious_affiliation  = [[Catholic Church]]
 | president              = [[Patricia McGuire]]
 | students               = 1,800
 | city                   = [[Washington, D.C.]]
 | state                  = 
 | country                = United States
 | colors                 = Purple & Gold<br>{{color box|4b306a}} {{color box|fcd450}}
 | colours                = 
 | nickname               = Tigers
 | mascot                 = Tiger
 | sporting_affiliations  = [[NCAA Division III]]
 | former_names           = Trinity College (1897–2004)
 | academic_affiliations  = {{hlist|[[Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities|ACCU]]|[[National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities|NAICU]]|[[Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area|CUWMA]]}}
 | website                = {{url|http://www.trinitydc.edu}}
 | accreditation          = [[Middle States Commission on Higher Education|MSCHE]]
}}

'''Trinity Washington University''' is a [[private university|private]] Catholic university in [[Washington, D.C.]], United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Spotlight On: Trinity at 125 — Moving Forward in the 21st Century|url= https://snddeneastwest.org/spotlight-on-trinity-at-125/|access-date=2024-12-29|website=snddenusa.org -[[Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur]]}}</ref> It was founded as '''Trinity College''' by the [[Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur]] in 1897 as the nation's first Catholic [[liberal arts college]] for women. Trinity was chartered by an Act of Congress on August 20, 1897. An elite collegian institution in its early life, the college faced declining enrollment by the 1980s. It began recruiting local underprivileged students.<ref name="Chronicle transformation">{{Cite web|last=Schmalz|first=Julia|date=2015-03-25|title=How an Elite Women's College Lost Its Base and Found Its Mission|url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-an-elite-womens-college-lost-its-base-and-found-its-mission/|access-date=2021-08-19|website=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]]}}</ref> It was renamed '''Trinity Washington University''' in 2004.

Trinity enrolls more than 1,800 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing and Health Professions, School of Education, School of Business and Graduate Studies, and School of Professional Studies. Trinity's student body in 2020 includes about 95% ethnic minorities, including about 65% Black/African American and 30% Latino/Hispanic. Trinity is designated by the [[United States Department of Education|U.S. Department of Education]] as a [[Minority-serving institution|Minority Serving Institution]] and is the only university in the D.C. region, as well as one of only a few in the nation, designated as both a [[Historically black colleges and universities|Predominantly Black Institution]] (PBI) and [[Hispanic-serving institution|Hispanic Serving Institution]] (HSI). Trinity has a 97% acceptance rate, with 35% of students graduating.<ref name=DeptEd/>

==History==
After its founding in 1897 as the nation's first Catholic liberal arts college for women by the [[Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur]], Trinity educated middle-class Catholic women, who were underrepresented in America's colleges, for more than 70 years.<ref name="Chronicle transformation" /> (For more background on women's higher education, see [[Women's colleges in the United States#Origins and types|Origins and types of Women's colleges in the United States]].)

When many all-male colleges became co-ed, Trinity's full-time enrollment dropped from 1,000 in 1969 to 300 in 1989. The school's 12th president, Donna Jurick, responded in the early 1980s by opening a weekend college for working women from the District of Columbia, a racially diverse population the school had previously not served. The first such program in Washington, it became very popular; within three years, it had more students than the undergraduate program.<ref name="Devoted" />

Under [[Patricia McGuire]], a Trinity alumna who became college president in 1989, Trinity reached out to the Black and Hispanic women of Washington. McGuire split the college into three schools. The historic women's college became the College of Arts and Sciences; the higher-revenue teacher college became the School of Education; and the continuing education classes were folded into a School of Professional Studies. Trinity began recruiting at D.C. high schools and expanded the professional schools, whose combined enrollment rose from 639 in 1989 to 974 in 1999.<ref name="Devoted">{{cite news|title=The Devoted: She spent her life transforming Trinity. So where does Pat McGuire – and the university she rebuilt – go from here?|author=Daniel de Vise|date=February 14, 2010|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/09/AR2010020902208_pf.html}}</ref>

In 2004, the college gained university status and became Trinity Washington University.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mission and History |url=https://discover.trinitydc.edu/mission/ |website=discover.trinitydc.edu |publisher=Trinity Washington University |access-date=9 December 2023}}</ref>

==Academics==

===Five schools===
Trinity has an annual enrollment of more than 1,800 students in the university's five schools, which offer undergraduate and graduate degrees.

* The College of Arts and Sciences—Trinity's historic women's school—offers community service opportunities, athletics, student clubs, and campus activities. The College of Arts and Sciences offers a number of undergraduate academic programs, including international affairs, criminal justice, forensic psychology, journalism, and business economics.
* Trinity's School of Education is a coeducational graduate program offering degrees in education, counseling, curriculum design, and educational administration. Through its Continuing Education Program, the School of Education also offers professional development courses enrolling 4,000 education professionals each year.
* The School of Professional Studies offers undergraduate degrees designed for women and men seeking to advance or change their careers. 
* The School of Business and Graduate Studies encompasses the graduate degree programs of Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Master of Science Administration (M.S.A.), and Strategic Communication and Public Relations (M.A.).
* The School of Nursing and Health Professions is home to Trinity's nursing program, which is accredited by [[Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education]]. It also offers Master's degrees of Occupational Therapy, Science in Nursing, and Public Health.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.trinitydc.edu/nursing-health/|title = Nursing and Health Professions Home - Nursing & Health Professions}}</ref>

===Special academic programs===

Trinity offers professional programs at a satellite classroom located at THEARC, a multipurpose community facility in Southeast Washington — the only private university to offer college degree programs in the District of Columbia's underserved neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River.

===Rankings===
In 2024, ''[[U S News & World Report]]'' ranked Trinity #133-#175 out of 181 Regional Universities North.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trinity Washington University |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/trinity-washington-university-1460 |website=usnews.com |publisher=[[U.S. News & World Report|U.S. News & World Report, L.P.]]|access-date=3 August 2023}}</ref>

==Student body==

Of Trinity's more than 1,800 students, 95% were persons of color, including about 65% Black/African American and 30% Latina/Hispanic as of 2020.&nbsp;Ninety-four percent of the students are women.&nbsp; About 80% of full-time undergraduates are eligible for Pell Grants, with a median family income of roughly $25,000.&nbsp;Slightly more than 100 Trinity students are undocumented immigrants.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trinity DARE: Driving Actions for Racial Equity – Trinity DARE|url=https://discover.trinitydc.edu/about/trinity-dare-driving-actions-for-racial-equity/|access-date=2021-08-25|website=Trinity Washington University|language=en-US}}</ref>

For 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Education, Trinity had a 97% acceptance rate with 35% of students graduating, 33% transferring, 30% withdrawing, and 2% still enrolled.<ref name=DeptEd>{{cite web |title=Trinity Washington University |url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?131876-Trinity-Washington-University |website=collegescorecard.ed.gov |publisher=[[United States Department of Education|U.S. Department of Education]] |access-date=4 August 2023}}</ref>

Trinity is designated by the [[United States Department of Education|U.S. Department of Education]] as a [[Minority-serving institution|Minority Serving Institution]] and is the only university in the D.C. region, and one of only a few in the nation, designated as both a Predominantly Black Institution and [[Hispanic-serving institution|Hispanic Serving Institution]].

Trinity's 2020–21 tuition for a full-time undergraduate is $24,860 for a full year. All full-time undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences receive a scholarship between $10,000 and $15,000. About 80% of the undergraduate students receive Pell Grants and most D.C. students receive D.C. TAG (D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant). With additional grants and loans, the average student pays $1,000 to $2,000 out-of-pocket for tuition.<ref name="Devoted" />

==Athletics==
The Trinity Washington athletic teams are called the Tigers. The university is a member in the [[NCAA Division III|Division III]] level of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA), primarily competing as an [[NCAA Division III independent schools|NCAA D-III Independent]] since the 2015–16 academic year (which they were in a previous stint from 2007–08 to 2011–12). The Tigers previously competed in these defunct conferences: the [[Great South Athletic Conference]] (GSAC) from 2012–13 to 2014–15; and the [[Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference]] (AWCC) as a founding member from 1995–96 to 2006–07.

Trinity Washington competes in five intercollegiate varsity sports: basketball, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and volleyball.

===Facilities===
The Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports was completed in 2003. It features a basketball arena; walking track; swimming pool; spa; fitness center with weight machines, free weights and cardio equipment and dance studio; tennis courts; and an athletic field. It is free for Trinity students and offers memberships to local residents.

==Campus buildings==
[[File:TrinityUniv.jpg|thumb|Trinity Washington University]]
[[File:Trinity Main and Chapel.jpg|thumb|right|Main Hall, designed by [[Edwin Forrest Durang]].]]
The campus includes the following buildings:

* Main Hall, which houses most of the administrative offices on campus, many faculty offices and classrooms, as well as the university's admissions office, O'Connor Auditorium, and bookstore. 
* Payden Academic Center, opened in 2016, has nursing and science labs, classrooms for all disciplines and Trinity's technology hub.<ref>{{Cite news|title=How this women's college got its first new academic building in 50 years|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/06/03/how-this-womens-college-got-its-first-new-academic-building-in-50-years/|access-date=2021-08-19|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
* Kerby Hall is a residence hall. In the 1980s, it was a residence hall for graduate students of other colleges in Washington, D.C., including [[Bob Casey, Jr.|Robert Casey]], who studied law at Catholic University of America and later became a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania.
* Notre Dame Chapel hosts many of Trinity's traditions, including Academic Convocation, Freshman Medal Ceremony, Cap and Gown Mass, and Baccalaureate Mass. Dedicated in 1924, it was designed by the architectural firm [[Maginnis & Walsh|Maginnis and Walsh]] and won a national architecture award for ecclesiastical architecture from the [[American Institute of Architects]]. It was restored in 1997 and features [[Guastavino tile|Guastavino]] tiles, stained glass windows by [[Charles Jay Connick]] and a mosaic by [[Bancel LaFarge]]. The chapel hosted the pope during his 1979 visit to the United States.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}

==Notable alumni==
{{Missing information | section| the kind of degree and date granted usually supplied for alumni|date=August 2023}}
[[File:Official photo of Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2019.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|[[Nancy Pelosi]], former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, class of 1962<ref>{{cite web |title=Nancy Pelosi '62 |url=https://discover.trinitydc.edu/success_profiles/nancy-pelosi-62/ |publisher=Trinity Washington University |access-date=1 February 2022}}</ref>]]
* [[Joy Ford Austin]], former executive director of [[Humanities DC]]
* [[Cathie Black]], former chairman of [[Hearst Communications#Magazines|Hearst Magazines]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Reader |first1=Stephen |title=Bloomberg's Choice for NYC Schools: Publisher Cathie Black {{!}} WNYC {{!}} New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News |url=https://www.wnyc.org/story/100800-bloomberg-picks-cathie-black-schools-chancellor/ |work=WNYC |date=November 9, 2010 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Rosemary M. Collyer]], [[Senior Status|Senior]] [[United States federal judge|United States district judge]] of the [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia]]; former Presiding Judge of the [[United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bellinger |first1=Dawn |title=Rosemary M. Collyer |url=https://dcchs.org/judges/collyer-rosemary-m/ |website=Historical Society of the D.C. Circuit |access-date=29 July 2020}}</ref>
* [[Kellyanne Conway]], former [[Counselor to the President]] to [[Donald Trump]], and campaign strategist during [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016|his 2016 presidential campaign]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trinitydc.edu/magazine-2006/qa-with-kellyanne-conway-89|title=Q&A with Kellyanne Conway '89 – TRINITY Magazine 2006 – Trinity Washington University|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>
* [[Claire Eagan]], Chief Judge on [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Eagan, Claire |url=https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/eagan-claire |website=Federal Judicial Center |access-date=29 July 2020}}</ref>
* [[Cynthia Eagle Russett]], intellectual historian at [[Yale University]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fox |first1=Margalit |title=Cynthia Eagle Russett, Chronicler of Women's History, Dies at 76 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/19/books/cynthia-russett-historian-of-women-dies-at-76.html |work=The New York Times |date=18 December 2013}}</ref>
* [[Alanna Fields]], multimedia artist and archivist<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alanna Fields |url=https://assembly.art/artists/alanna-fields |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=Assembly |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Regina Flannery Herzfeld]], anthropologist
* Sister [[Joan Frances Gormley]], [[consecrated virgin]] who was a noted [[biblical scholar]] and translator<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sun |first1=Baltimore |title=Sister Joan |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2007-10-23-0710230019-story.html |work=baltimoresun.com |date=October 23, 2007}}</ref>
* [[Barbara B. Kennelly]], former [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] from [[Connecticut]]<ref>{{cite web |title=KENNELLY, Barbara Bailey {{!}} US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives |url=https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/16225 |website=History, Art & Archives |publisher=United States House of Representatives |access-date=29 July 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Maria Leavey]], political strategist<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schudel |first1=Matt |title=Maria Leavey, 52; Political Consultant |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/06/AR2007010601279.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=7 January 2007}}</ref>
* [[Jane Dammen McAuliffe]], former President, [[Bryn Mawr College]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr. Jane Dammen McAuliffe '66, Director of National and International Outreach at Library of Congress, to Speak and Be Honored at Trinity's Commencement |url=https://www.trinitydc.edu/media/2016/05/04/dr-jane-mcauliffe-director-library-of-congress-commencement/ |publisher=Trinity Washington University |date=May 4, 2016}}</ref>
*[[Patricia McGuire]], current President, Trinity Washington University
* [[Caryle Murphy]], [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning reporter, [[The Washington Post]]<ref name="georgetownvoice1">{{cite web|last=Bank|first=Anna|url=http://georgetownvoice.com/2008/03/27/the-fall-and-rise-of-trinity-washington-university|title=The Fall and Rise of Trinity Washington University|publisher=The Georgetown Voice|date=2008-03-27|access-date=2015-11-08}}</ref>
* [[Eileen Niedfield]], physician and missionary.
* [[Nancy Pelosi]] (Class of 1962), former [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives]]<ref>{{cite news |title=NCR's 2019 newsmaker of the year: Nancy Pelosi |url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/ncrs-2019-newsmaker-year-nancy-pelosi |work=National Catholic Reporter |date=20 December 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Noris Salazar Allen]], Panamanian bryologist
* [[Kathleen Sebelius]], former [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services]]; former [[Governor of Kansas]]<ref name="georgetownvoice1"/>
* [[M. Patricia Smith]], former Commissioner of the [[New York State Department of Labor]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Greenhouse |first1=Steven |title=State Labor Commissioner Is Picked for Federal Job |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/nyregion/21labor.html |work=The New York Times |date=20 March 2009}}</ref>
* [[Maggie Williams]], former campaign manager to [[Hillary Clinton]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Olkowski |first1=Tyler S.B. |title=Kennedy School Names Clinton Advisor as New IOP Director {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/6/6/williams-new-iop-director/ |work=www.thecrimson.com |date=June 6, 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.trinitydc.edu/ Official website]
* [http://discover.trinitydc.edu/athletics/ Official athletics website]

{{Current women's universities and colleges in the United States}}
{{Colleges and universities in the District of Columbia}}
{{NCAA Division III independent schools navbox}}
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[[Category:Trinity Washington University| ]]
[[Category:Edgewood (Washington, D.C.)]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1897]]
[[Category:Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities]]
[[Category:Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur colleges and universities]]
[[Category:Catholic universities and colleges in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Women's universities and colleges in the United States]]
[[Category:1897 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Private universities and colleges in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:NCAA Division III independents]]