<P> Mixed - sex education, also known as mixed - gender education, co-education or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together . Whereas single - sex education was more common up to the 19th century, mixed - sex education has since become standard in many cultures, particularly in Western countries . Single - sex education, however, remains prevalent in many Muslim countries . The relative merits of both systems have been the subject of debate . </P> <P> The world's oldest co-educational day and boarding school is Dollar Academy, a junior and senior school for males and females from ages 5 to 18 in Scotland, United Kingdom . From its opening in 1818 the school admitted both boys and girls of the parish of Dollar and the surrounding area . The school continues in existence to the present day with around 1,250 pupils . </P> <P> The first co-educational college to be founded was Oberlin Collegiate Institute in Oberlin, Ohio . It opened on December 3, 1833, with 44 students, including 29 men and 15 women . Fully equal status for women did not arrive until 1837, and the first three women to graduate with bachelor's degrees did so in 1840 . By the late 20th century, many institutions of higher learning that had been exclusively for people of one sex had become coeducational . </P> <P> In early civilizations, people were educated informally: primarily within the household . As time progressed, education became more structured and formal . Women often had very few rights when education started to become a more important aspect of civilization . Efforts of the ancient Greek and Chinese societies focused primarily on the education of males . In ancient Rome, the availability of education was gradually extended to women, but they were taught separately from men . The early Christians and medieval Europeans continued this trend, and single - sex schools for the privileged classes prevailed through the Reformation period . </P>

What was the first american college to become co-educational