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Coeducation: The Benefits Beyond Academic Achievement
Fifty years ago, McDonogh made a transformational decision: to become a coeducational school. In 1975, the administration explained the change this way: "Coeducation will bring a new social dimension—an enrichment—to our campus. Because most colleges and universities are now coed, we feel that we must also address ourselves to the social environment which our students will face in the future."
What began as preparation for the college experience has become something far more fundamental—a learning environment where students of all genders challenge one another, lead together, and develop the skills essential for navigating an increasingly complex world. As McDonogh celebrates this milestone, the benefits of that 1975 decision remain as relevant as ever.
Beyond the Classroom: How Coeducation Prepares Students for Life
When researchers compare single-sex and coeducational schools, they find little difference in academic outcomes. But academic achievement is only part of the story. The learning environment itself shapes how students develop critical life skills, including the ability to collaborate across differences, communicate with diverse peers, and build genuine empathy through daily interaction rather than abstract lessons. In these areas, coeducation offers distinct advantages that extend far beyond graduation.
"A school is truly a place to rehearse life," says Dr. Kevin Costa, McDonogh School's Director of LifeReady. "A coeducational school, like McDonogh, gives students the advantage because when they graduate, they are comfortable living and working with people with diverse perspectives and experiences." This comfort isn't accidental; it's the result of years of authentic practice.
In a place that doesn't ignore gender, but encourages equal opportunities, all students can see—daily—that they are powerful, dynamic, and the equal of anyone else.
Dr. Kevin Costa, Director of LifeReady
Dynamic Learning Environment
During recess at McDonogh, something wonderful happens. Brendan Minihan, the school's Interim Head of Middle School, explains: "During this brain-break, I get to observe students in their natural habitat. Girls and boys play together, chat, and learn conflict resolution on their own, without adult intervention." This natural collaboration doesn't happen by accident—it's the visible result of skills students practice daily in the classroom.
In coeducational environments, students learn to consider different viewpoints not as a separate lesson but as part of how learning happens. Collaborative learning in mixed-gender classrooms exposes students to different communication styles and problem-solving approaches, strengthening their ability to work effectively across differences.
Nancy Fleury, McDonogh's Head of Lower School, recalls observing a fourth grade engineering class in which a girl worked with particular precision and understanding. At the same time, her boy classmate watched with admiration, adding his own insights. "I saw assumptions and stereotypes fall away and possibilities open up," Fleury says, "because they both brought their unique perspectives and skills to the task."
This freedom from limiting stereotypes represents another crucial advantage. At McDonogh, students pursue interests based on genuine curiosity and ability. They simply follow their strengths and passions—whether that's engineering, literature, athletics, or the arts.
"In a place that doesn't ignore gender, but encourages equal opportunities," says Costa, "all students can see—daily—that they are powerful, dynamic, and the equal of anyone else." His observation aligns with broader educational research that shows that dynamic learning environments result in greater productivity. In a report from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Professor Brian Uzzi says, "The more gender-balanced the team is, the better the team does. Simply put, men and women are both part of the recipe for success in science. We're better together."
In a coeducational environment such as McDonogh, daily experiences compound over the years. The fourth grader collaborating on an engineering project becomes the high schooler comfortable contributing ideas in any setting, the college student who naturally builds diverse study groups, and the professional who brings out the best in varied teams.
Authentic Relationships
In coeducational schools, friendships and working relationships form around shared interests rather than gender, creating authentic connections and preparing students for healthier personal and professional lives.
In the younger grades, students discover that the best partner for a project might be anyone who shares their curiosity. By high school, they're choosing clubs and activities based on interests and talents rather than outdated notions of what's "appropriate" for boys or girls. These authentic connections, built around what students care about rather than demographic categories, become the foundation for how they'll form relationships throughout their lives.
The breadth of opportunities matters. McDonogh's Upper and Middle School students can explore dozens of clubs, organizations, and teams, each offering a different context for collaboration. In gender-diverse groups like these, the exchange of ideas tends to be more dynamic. Diverse approaches and viewpoints spark creativity and strengthen outcomes as students learn to draw on varied strengths rather than gender-based assumptions.
Leadership opportunities in coeducational settings follow the same principle. Student government, honor councils, and service organizations all benefit from gender-diverse leadership where positions are earned through capability and commitment. When students see peers of every gender leading effectively in different ways, it expands their understanding of what leadership looks like—and their confidence in their own capacity to lead.
Students who spend years forming friendships and partnerships across gender lines don't have to learn later how to work effectively with diverse colleagues or build professional relationships. It's already second nature.
Real-World Readiness
The skills students develop through years of coeducational learning aren't just valuable for their school years; they're essential preparation for virtually every situation they will enter as adults.
Nearly all professional environments are coeducational. Students who learn to collaborate across gender lines from an early age don't face an adjustment period when they enter college or the workplace. The teamwork skills, communication competencies, and social confidence they have been practicing translate directly into their ability to contribute effectively in diverse settings. This preparation matters: in careers that value collaboration, innovation, and diverse perspectives, graduates of coeducational schools already possess the interpersonal skills and collaborative mindsets that others may still be developing.
In McDonogh's Upper School, project-based learning challenges students to tackle complex problems that mirror professional work. Students hone their critical thinking and leadership skills while gaining practical experience managing partnerships, logistics, and community impact. These experiences, repeated in classrooms across campus, allow students to practice the kind of multifaceted collaboration they'll encounter throughout their lives, building confidence not just in their technical abilities but in their capacity to work effectively with diverse teams toward meaningful goals.
Head of Upper School Merritt Livermore '91, who has a unique perspective as an alumna, teacher, administrator, and mother of three McDonogh girls, says, "I've watched young women who arrive unsure of their voice become the ones who lead teams through disagreement toward consensus. When students spend years practicing failing forward, leading through uncertainty, and finding creative solutions with people who think differently than they do—including across gender lines—they learn that the best solutions rarely come when everyone thinks alike."
She adds that by the time students graduate, they are all used to navigating the kind of dynamic environments that define modern life. They enter the next phase of young adulthood already equipped with the collaborative skills, emotional intelligence, and confident adaptability that others may still be learning. "They're ready not just to participate in a coeducational world, but to thrive in it—facing complexity with confidence and compassion."