Ewha Womans University (Korean: 이화여자대학교, Hanja: 梨花女子大學校) is a private women's university in central Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the city's largest institutions of higher learning and currently the world's largest female educational institute. It is one of the best-known universities in South Korea, also considered to be one of the top universities in Korea. Ewha was founded in 1886 by the American Methodist Episcopal missionary Mary F. Scranton.