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Spelman College

Spelman College

Atlanta, GA · City · 3,414 students
WebsiteCommon AppForbes rankingScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$38,967
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
77%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
69% typical
$59,993
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$58,391 typical
25%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
64% typical · not scored
Accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
About

Consistently ranked among the nation’s top Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Spelman College is a prestigious, private women’s liberal arts institution in Atlanta dedicated to empowering women of African descent through leadership, scholarship, and service. The college is academically renowned for its strengths across the humanities and social sciences, as well as its standout STEM programs, where it ranks as a national leader in producing Black women who go on to earn science and engineering doctorates. Campus life is anchored in a deeply supportive, tradition-rich "sisterhood" committed to social justice, which is further enriched by its membership in the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Consortium alongside Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University.

Wikipedia:Spelman College is a private, historically Black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is a founding member of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman awarded its first college degrees in 1901 and is the oldest private historically Black liberal arts institution for women.

Location
Atlanta, GA, 30314-4399 · City campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
ATL · Atlanta
7 mi away
Open in Google Maps
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$31,556
Housing & food (on campus)$18,091
Books & supplies$1,500
Cost of attendance$61,683
Average net price$38,967
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$31,556
Housing & food (on campus)$18,091
Books & supplies$1,500
Cost of attendance$61,683
Average net price$38,967
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.spelman.edu
How it’s made up · 2026-27
Spelman College’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$30,042
Housing$11,994
Food$8,114
Books & supplies$1,500
Personal expenses$2,000
Transportation$1,500
Total published by the school$61,683
Net price by family income · 2023-24
$0–30k
$32,923
$30–48k
$34,108
$48–75k
$36,602
$75–110k
$38,640
$110k+
$44,529
Merit aid · 2024-25
Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.
Average award$25,840
First-years who got one18
Source: Spelman College's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
77%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
70%
Back for yr 2
94%
Transferred
12%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
77% graduated · 15% transferred · 1% still enrolled · 7% left or unknown
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$45,676
10 yrs after entry$59,993
Debt
Median at graduation$25,000
Monthly payment$265
Middle 50% owe$13.5k–$31k
90th percentile$40,000
Green marks a figure above the typical Baccalaureate — arts & sciences: 69% graduate within 6 yrs, $58,391 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
25%
Test policy
Test optional
Checked Sep 2026
SAT average
1220
R 590–680 · M 518–640
SAT middle 50%: 1108–1320
40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Spelman College asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body
Gender
Men 5%Women 95%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell grant
28%
First-gen
21%
Family income
$43,781
Independent
3%
Age at entry
19.0
Part-time
22%
Race & ethnicity
White
5%
Hispanic
1%
Black
86%
Asian
2%
Two or more
2%
AI/AN
1%
Unknown
3%
Varsity sports

No data. This school isn't in the U.S. Department of Education's athletics (EADA) file, so we can't list its teams. That doesn't mean it has none.

Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$45,676
After 10 yrs
$59,993
Psychology, General63
Political Science and Government53
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General39
Biology, General34
Economics34
English Language and Literature, General25
International/Globalization Studies25
Sociology18
Computer and Information Sciences, General16
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods16
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies13
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology11
Mathematics11
Chemistry10
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft10
Film/Video and Photographic Arts7
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$549M
Full-time faculty
70%
Faculty salary
$9,558/mo
Teaching spend
$15,850
per student
Federal loans
48%
Classification
Carnegie type
Baccalaureate — arts & sciences
Research activity
Research college or university
$5M research spending
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, selective admissions

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