The first college to open its doors within the town of Greensboro was the woman's college, Greensboro Female College. The school occupied a campus near the heart of the city within what would become the College Hill Historic District. The institution had its origin in 1833, when the Greensboro Female College was organized as an institution for local children. It was the intent of the Rev. Peter Doub that the institution grow to serve women. Through the Methodist Church, a charter was secured in 1838, an event which makes the college one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women in the United States. The college became coeducational in the late 1950s. The cornerstone of the first building was laid in 1843, and in 1846 the institution opened its doors to students. Young women came from many southern states to become the first classes of the new president, the Rev. Solomon Lea, and his faculty.
Academics
The academic calendar consists of two semesters and a summer-school session. Full-time undergraduates must carry a minimum academic load of 12 credit hours per semester. The college offers four undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Science. It offers four master's degrees: M.Ed. in elementary education, M.Ed. in special education/general curriculum, M.Ed. in special education/adapted curriculum, and M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
The Pride's athletic program competes in the NCAA's Division III and the USA South Athletic Conference. It offers 17 intercollegiate sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, wrestling and tennis. Women's sports include basketball, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. The men's golf team has twice won the Division III national championship, in 2000 and 2011. The men's soccer team was NCAA Division III runner-up in 1989 when they lost 2-0 to Elizabethtown College. Women's soccer saw one of their own players, Mercedes Bauzá, chosen to play for the Puerto Rico women's national football team in 2018. As of the beginning of the 2011–2012 school year, 77 Pride student-athletes had been named All-Americans and 26 had been named Academic All-Americans.
Middle College
Greensboro College Middle College is a high school program on the campus of Greensboro College located in Greensboro, North Carolina. It schools the 11th and 12th grades, and allows students to finish their high school career while earning college credit. GMC's main focus is to provide a more flexible learning environment for students previously unsuccessful or dissatisfied with traditional high school. As of the 2011–2012 school year, there are about 120 students enrolled.
