Agnes Scott is a women's liberal arts college in Decatur, founded in 1889. Its campus of Victorian and Gothic buildings is a National Register historic district. It was the first college in Georgia to earn regional accreditation, and it has run its own observatory since 1950. Robert Frost read poetry here most winters for nearly two decades, and U.S. News has ranked it the most innovative liberal arts college in the country nine years running.
About this site
Agnes Scott College is a college & university in Decatur, DeKalb County. It is one of 3 colleges & universities documented in DeKalb County, among 143 historic sites cataloged across the county on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 33.7684, -84.2956 near Decatur. The nearest cataloged historic site is Bradley Observatory (museum), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Dalton ART Gallery, The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Decatur, and Delafield Planetarium.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Agnes Scott College different
In 1907 Agnes Scott became the first college in Georgia accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. georgiaencyclopedia.org
Robert Frost visited every winter from 1945 until his death in 1963 to read in Presser Hall. A statue of the poet stands in the alumnae garden, and McCain Library holds a collection of his poetry and letters. en.wikipedia.org
When a student lands a job or a graduate school acceptance, she rings the bell in the tower of Main Hall. agnesscott.edu
Bradley Observatory houses the 30-inch Beck telescope and the 70-seat Delafield Planetarium, which still uses a mechanical Zeiss star projector. agnesscott.edu
The campus stood in for 'Windsor College' in the 1997 horror film 'Scream 2.' en.wikipedia.org
Agnes Scott Hall ('Main'), built in 1891, is the oldest building on campus. The whole campus sits in a National Register historic district listed in 1994. en.wikipedia.org
Agnes Scott reports 46 Fulbright scholars and two Rhodes Scholars among its students and graduates. agnesscott.edu
Agnes Scott began in 1889 as the Decatur Female Seminary, founded by Frank Henry Gaines, pastor of Decatur Presbyterian Church. It opened with 63 students and four teachers. The next year, Col. George Washington Scott, a Decatur businessman, gave the money for a permanent home. He asked only that the school be named for his mother, Agnes Irvine Scott. Agnes Scott Hall, known as 'Main,' opened in 1891 and is still the oldest building on campus.
The school was chartered as Agnes Scott College in 1906. In 1907 it became the first college in Georgia accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and it gained a Phi Beta Kappa chapter in 1926. Gothic buildings went up around a central quad in the following decades, and Bradley Observatory opened in 1950 with a 30-inch telescope. Robert Frost first visited in 1935, and from 1945 until his death he came back every winter to read in Presser Hall. The campus and the nearby South Candler Street homes were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Recent decades brought a new science center and, under president Elizabeth Kiss, SUMMIT, a curriculum that gives every student global travel and leadership training. The campus also shows up often on screen: it was Windsor College in 'Scream 2.' Leocadia I. Zak, former director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, has been president since 2018.
#1 Most Innovative Schools among national liberal arts colleges (ninth straight year) — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#4 Top Performers on Social Mobility (national liberal arts colleges) — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#2 First-Year Experiences and #2 Learning Communities — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#10 Undergraduate Teaching and #10 Study Abroad — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#2 Best Schools for Making an Impact (private schools) — The Princeton Review, 2027source
#13 national liberal arts colleges for Access — Washington Monthly, 2026source
Top 5% of America's Best Colleges for Women (inaugural list) — Newsweek, 2026source
Majors & programs
Undergraduates combine a major with SUMMIT, the college's core program of global learning and leadership training. Dual-degree partnerships lead to engineering, computer science and nursing degrees at other universities. Coeducational graduate and post-baccalaureate programs include physician assistant studies. This is the undergraduate list the college published in September 2026.
Known for
SUMMIT (global learning and leadership)
Every student gets global study, leadership training and a personal team of advisors. U.S. News has ranked it the nation's most innovative liberal arts college nine years in a row.
Known for
Astrophysics
Students work at the college's own Bradley Observatory, with its 30-inch Beck telescope and Delafield Planetarium.
Known for
Public Health
A major and minor near the CDC and Emory in Atlanta. Niche lists Agnes Scott among the top schools for public health.
Known for
Business Management
Linked to internships in Atlanta. Recent graduates have joined BlackRock, Novelis and Trane Technologies.
Known for
Engineering and Computer Science dual degrees
Students start with the liberal arts at Agnes Scott and finish a technical degree at a partner university.
Known for
Neuroscience
An interdisciplinary science major that often leads to graduate or medical school. 41% of the Class of 2025 went on to graduate school.
Jennifer Nettles — Grammy-winning lead singer of Sugarland and a Broadway performer (1997) en.wikipedia.org
Marsha Norman — playwright who won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for ''night, Mother' (bachelor's degree) en.wikipedia.org
Katherine Harris — Florida secretary of state during the 2000 presidential recount and later a U.S. representative (B.A. in history, 1979) en.wikipedia.org
Jean H. Toal — first woman to serve as chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court (1965) en.wikipedia.org
Susan M. Phillips — member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (mathematics, 1967) en.wikipedia.org
Jordan Casteel — painter known for large portraits of Harlem neighbors; a 2021 MacArthur Fellow (2011) en.wikipedia.org
Constance Curry — civil rights activist and author of 'Silver Rights' (1955, Phi Beta Kappa) en.wikipedia.org
Kathryn Johnson — Associated Press reporter who covered the civil rights movement (English, 1947) en.wikipedia.org
Loretta Ross — reproductive-justice activist, co-founder of SisterSong and a 2022 MacArthur Fellow (bachelor's, 2007) en.wikipedia.org
Where graduates work
92% of responding alumnae from the last three graduating classes landed a job or graduate school place within a year of graduating. This is Agnes Scott's own figure, based on alumnae who answered the college's survey. It counts graduates who were 'Ring-the-Bell eligible.' For the Class of 2025, 47% were employed, 41% were in graduate school and 12% were in post-baccalaureate, fellowship or service programs. The employers below are from the college's list of recent top employers. agnesscott.edu
Atlanta History CenterAtlanta Legal Aid SocietyAvanos MedicalBlackRockBroad Institute of MIT and HarvardEmory UniversityFederal Aviation AdministrationMarcus Autism CenterNovelisOld National BankOnPayTrane TechnologiesWellstar Health SystemAxiom Law
2025 Agnes Scott College Commencement · Agnes Scott CollegeThese Southern Ladies Beat Princeton in the Greatest Upset in Quiz Show History | Southern Living · Southern LivingHistoric Video of Agnes Scott's Campus · McCain LibraryAgnes Scott May Day 1930s · McCain LibraryAgnes Scott College Traditions: Founder's Day from 1918 to 2021 · McCain LibraryGeorgia's Agnes Scott College ranks #1 most innovative college, report says · 11Alive
Yes, at the undergraduate level. Agnes Scott is a women's liberal arts college, and its graduate and post-baccalaureate programs are coeducational.
What is Agnes Scott College known for?
Its SUMMIT curriculum of global learning and leadership, which has kept it at #1 on U.S. News' Most Innovative list for liberal arts colleges nine years running (2027 edition). It is also known for strong social mobility, a historic Decatur campus and Bradley Observatory.
How big is Agnes Scott?
Small: 1,079 students in Fall 2024 (843 undergraduates and 236 graduate students), according to the U.S. Department of Education.
What division is Agnes Scott?
NCAA Division III. The Scotties compete in the USA South Athletic Conference.
Was Scream 2 filmed at Agnes Scott?
Yes. The campus played the fictional Windsor College in 'Scream 2' (1997), and it has appeared in other film and TV productions.
Can you visit Bradley Observatory?
The observatory holds public open houses and events. Check the Bradley Observatory page on agnesscott.edu for upcoming dates.
Who is the president of Agnes Scott?
Leocadia I. Zak, who has led the college since 2018.
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