Located in the city of Pepper Pike, Ursuline College was established by Mother Mary of the Annunciation Beaumont of Cleveland's Ursuline Sisters in 1871 as the first women's college in Ohio. In addition to being one of the first women's colleges in the United States, Ursuline College was also one of the first Catholic universities in the country. In 1966, the campus was relocated from downtown Cleveland to Pepper Pike, Ohio.
Ursuline College operates under the practice of its mantra of values, voice and vision. According to the foundation established by the Ursuline Sisters, the university assists students in building values that represent being people who live with spirituality and faith to guide their ethical characters. Students are also urged to listen to these values as they work on self-growth. Ursuline College also encourages students to use this mantra as they go forth into the world.
Ursuline College offers over 30 undergraduate and nine graduate academic programs. The college uses value-based teaching as well as continuous improvement methods to ensure an outcome-based learning environment. Each academic program focuses on the components of "student learning and excellent teaching." All students have access to the Besse Library, Wasmer Gallery and Computer Information Services to assist with their academic goals.
The undergraduate and graduate student population at Ursuline is more than 1500 strong. Although it is primarily a women's college, at the time of publication, 9 percent of the undergraduate student body is male. Ursuline's has a diverse undergraduate student body; 27 percent of the school's students represent multiple minority groups.