Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts was the first university in the Northeast to grant degrees to women.

The first university in the Northeast to provide degrees to women was Mount Holyoke College, which was established in South Hadley, Massachusetts, in 1837. Mary Lyon, a pioneer in women's education, founded it as a women's seminary. At a time when most universities were exclusively male, Mount Holyoke was pioneering in its dedication to giving women access to higher education. The college, which is still a pioneer in women's education today, joined the Seven Sisters, a network of prominent American women's colleges.