Massachusetts's campuses and the stories they hold.
The Story
Bay Path is a women-focused university on Longmeadow Street, a few minutes south of Springfield: its on-campus undergraduate programs enroll women, while its graduate programs, now including Boston's Cambridge College, are open to everyone. It began in 1897 as a downtown Springfield business school and today is best known for health sciences such as physician assistant studies and occupational therapy, and for a women's leadership conference it has hosted since 1996.
About this site
Bay Path University is a college & university in Longmeadow, Hampden County. It is one of 8 colleges & universities documented in Hampden County, among 3,815 historic sites cataloged across the county on MassRoam.
The site sits at 42.0502, -72.5817 near Longmeadow. The nearest cataloged historic site is First Longmeadow Church of Christ (landmark), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Longmeadow First Church of Christ Parsonage, Old, Longmeadow First Church of Christ Community House, and Wood, Sgt. Albert T. American Legion Post Memorial.
This record is drawn from MassRoam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Bay Path University different
The name comes from the Bay Road, a Native American footpath that became a colonial trade route linking the Connecticut River settlements with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. baypath.edu
Leary Hall, the campus centerpiece, was the Georgian mansion of the Wallace estate the school bought in 1945; the estate's garage, built with a turntable for parking cars, became Glen Hall. en.wikipedia.org
The first Women's Leadership Conference, held in Springfield in 1996, featured Elizabeth Dole and drew more than 800 people; the conference continues today, with its 27th edition in 2024. baypath.edu
In 2019 Bay Path held its largest commencement ever, conferring 1,050 degrees at Springfield's MassMutual Center. baypath.edu
Bay Path held its first Cybersecurity Summit in 2012 to launch a master's program in cybersecurity. baypath.edu
Between 2002 and 2012 Bay Path grew 114%, from 1,107 to 2,370 students; The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked that growth eighth in the nation among private baccalaureate colleges. en.wikipedia.org
Bay Path University traces its roots to Bay Path Institute, a coeducational business school founded in 1897 in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1945 Springfield businessman Thomas Carr purchased the school, refocused it as an institution for women, and moved it to its present campus in Longmeadow; it became Bay Path Junior College in 1949. The Massachusetts Board of Regents authorized four-year degrees in 1988, and the institution adopted the name Bay Path University in 2014, when it launched The American Women's College, the nation's first fully accredited all-women, all-online bachelor's degree program.
Bay Path took its name from the Bay Road, a Native American footpath that became a colonial route between the Connecticut River towns and Boston. The institute started at the corner of State and Dwight streets in Springfield and moved to 100 Chestnut Street in 1920, reaching about 1,200 students just before World War II. When Thomas Carr moved it to Longmeadow in 1945, the new campus was the 18-acre Wallace estate, whose Georgian mansion is now Leary Hall.
The school won approval to award bachelor's degrees in 1991, launched a Saturday-only One-Day-A-Week College for adult women in 1999 and began graduate programs in 2000, later opening satellite centers in Sturbridge/Charlton and eastern Massachusetts. Its first physician assistant class arrived in 2012, the Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center in East Longmeadow was dedicated in 2015, and an online Occupational Therapy Doctorate, its first doctoral program, followed in 2017.
Sandra J. Doran became the sixth president in 2020. In 2024 Bay Path began acquiring Cambridge College, a private college based in Boston, and in September 2026 it announced the merger complete after final federal approval. In 2025 it combined its online programs into Bay Path Online, open to both women and men.
#77 among master's universities — Washington Monthly, 2025source
#42 in Best Bang for the Buck: Northeast — Washington Monthly, 2025source
#114 in Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars: Northeast — Washington Monthly, 2026source
Majors & programs
Bay Path pairs a women's residential college with coeducational graduate and online programs. Undergraduates choose from about 30 majors, and graduate students can study health sciences, business, education, psychology, cybersecurity and more, up to doctorates in occupational therapy and education.
Known for
Physician Assistant Studies (M.S.)
The program welcomed its first class in 2012 and holds Accreditation-Continued status from ARC-PA, the national PA accreditor.
Known for
Occupational Therapy
The master's program is accredited by ACOTE, and in 2017 Bay Path launched its first doctoral program, an online Occupational Therapy Doctorate.
Known for
Women's leadership
Bay Path has hosted a Women's Leadership Conference since 1996; the 27th edition in 2024 was held at Springfield's MassMutual Center.
Known for
Cybersecurity (M.S.)
Bay Path launched its cybersecurity master's in 2012, marking it with the university's first Cybersecurity Summit.
All degree programs at Bay Path University (2)
Undergraduate programs
About 30 majors for women on campus, plus Bay Path Online bachelor's programs open to all
Graduate programs
Programs include physician assistant studies, occupational therapy, genetic counseling, applied behavior analysis, clinical mental health counseling, cybersecurity, applied data science, accounting and the MBA
Paige Turco — actress in 'The 100' and 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II' (Bay Path College, 1987) en.wikipedia.org
Christine Conley — Connecticut state representative, 2017–2025 (B.S.) en.wikipedia.org
Tammy Nuccio — Connecticut state representative (BBA and MBA) en.wikipedia.org
Edward L. Jackson — football and basketball coach at Delaware State and Johnson C. Smith (studied at Bay Path Institute) en.wikipedia.org
Charles E. Shepard — Massachusetts state official and Warren farmer (Bay Path Institute) en.wikipedia.org
Where graduates work
92% of recent graduates said Bay Path prepared them for their first job after graduation. This is Bay Path's own survey figure; it measures graduates' views of their preparation, not a placement rate. The employers below are those the university lists as hiring its alumni. baypath.edu
Baystate HealthMassMutualCIGNAFBIHasbroHealth New EnglandThe LEGO GroupMassachusetts State Police Crime LabProcter & GamblePratt & WhitneySun Life FinancialUBS Financial ServicesUnitedHealth GroupUMass Medical School
Its on-campus undergraduate college is for women. Graduate programs, Bay Path Online and the merged Cambridge College enroll students of all genders.
What is Bay Path University known for?
Health sciences such as physician assistant studies and occupational therapy, programs for adult and online learners, and its annual Women's Leadership Conference.
Did Bay Path merge with Cambridge College?
Yes. Bay Path began acquiring the Boston-based Cambridge College in 2024 and announced in September 2026 that the merger was complete.
Where is Bay Path University?
The main campus is at 588 Longmeadow Street in Longmeadow, just south of Springfield; graduate health programs are at the Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center in East Longmeadow.
Does Bay Path have sports?
Yes. The Wildcats play soccer, softball and volleyball in the USCAA's Division I.
How big is Bay Path?
2,605 students in Fall 2024 by the federal count (1,177 undergraduates and 1,428 graduate students); Bay Path reports 2,841 for 2025–26.
The self-guided Bay Path University campus tour tells the story of each landmark as you reach it (0.5 mi · walking · ~42m · 4 stops). It's included with MassRoam+, alongside 82,000+ Massachusetts historic sites on one live map.
Massachusetts