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Private nonprofit · Urban campus · founded 1881 · full profile

Spelman College

Black women seeking an academically serious, mentorship-dense liberal arts environment — particularly those aiming at medicine, law or a STEM doctorate.

CompareOfficial site
Atlanta, Georgia3,414 undergraduatesMean consensus percentile 31HBCUWomen's collegeLiberal arts

The short answer

Spelman is the top-ranked HBCU in the country and a leading producer of Black women who go on to earn STEM doctorates. It ranks #37 among national liberal arts colleges and #22 on Washington Monthly's social-mobility-weighted list, and its Atlanta University Center membership lets students cross-register at Morehouse and Clark Atlanta.

The six numbers that matter most

Acceptance rate
24.9%

Below the dataset median of 76%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Average net price
$38,967

22% below the $49,647 published price

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardAverage for full-time first-time aid recipients, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median earnings, 10 yrs
$59,993

Above the dataset median of $54,053

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian earnings 10 years after entry, working and not enrolled, College Scorecard June 2026 release

6-year graduation rate
78.5%

Above the dataset median of 56%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent six-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median debt at graduation
$25,000

Below the dataset median of $23,250

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian federal loan debt of completers, College Scorecard June 2026 release

SAT middle 50%
1108–1320

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardSum of reported reading and math section percentiles for the most recent entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release. Section percentiles added together approximate, but do not exactly equal, the composite score range.

Where Spelman ranks, and why the answers differ

Each publisher's position, the list it belongs to, and how many institutions it was drawn from.

SourceListRank
US News2026National Liberal Arts Colleges#37of 207Liberal arts colleges
Forbes2026America's Top Colleges#398of 500Top colleges (Forbes)
Washington Monthly2026National Liberal Arts Colleges#22of 218Liberal arts colleges
WSJ2026Best Colleges in the U.S.#184of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)
Niche2026Best Colleges (Overall)B+#306of 2,605Overall (Niche)
Money2026Best Value CollegesNot ranked by this source
Princeton Review2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
QS2026World University RankingsNot ranked by this source

Methodology sensitivity: Spelman's position moves 70 percentile points depending on which published list you read. That is a wide spread, so which list you consult substantially changes the impression you get. How we compute this

Ranking positions are the editorial property of their publishers and are reproduced here with attribution for comparison and commentary. Follow each source link for its full list and methodology.

About Spelman

Spelman has been the highest-ranked historically Black college or university for years running, and the distinctive achievement behind that is a pipeline: Spelman is among the top institutions nationally for producing Black women who go on to complete STEM doctorates, and it sends a substantial share of graduates to medical, law and graduate school. For a college of 2,600 students, that output is disproportionate.

The environment is the mechanism. As a women's college and an HBCU, Spelman creates a setting where Black women are the default rather than the exception, with a 11:1 student-faculty ratio and faculty who mentor intensively. Membership in the Atlanta University Center Consortium means students cross-register at Morehouse, Clark Atlanta and Morehouse School of Medicine, which expands course options well beyond what a 2,600-student college could offer alone.

The numbers worth examining are financial. Median earnings of $59,993 ten years after entry and median federal debt of $25,000 reflect both the majors students choose — heavily psychology, biology and the social sciences, with many continuing to graduate school before earning — and the reality that Spelman's endowment cannot match the aid of wealthy liberal arts colleges. Students bound for professional or doctoral programs should weight graduate placement more heavily than ten-year earnings.

Strengths and honest considerations

Strengths

  • The top-ranked HBCU in the country and #37 among national liberal arts colleges.
  • A leading national producer of Black women who go on to earn STEM doctorates.
  • Atlanta University Center cross-registration with Morehouse and Clark Atlanta.
  • A 11:1 student-faculty ratio with intensive faculty mentorship.

Considerations

  • Median earnings of $59,993 partly reflect major mix and high graduate-school continuation.
  • Median federal debt of $25,000; the endowment cannot match wealthy peer colleges' aid.
  • A women's college of 2,600 students is not the right setting for everyone — visit first.

Who this school genuinely fits

Black women seeking an academically serious, mentorship-dense liberal arts environment — particularly those aiming at medicine, law or a STEM doctorate.

What it costs

Published price, then what families actually pay after grants and scholarships.

Tuition & fees
$31,556

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Undergraduates on Pell grants
27.8%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardShare of undergraduates, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Room & board
$18,091

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Published cost of attendance comes to roughly $49,647 a year, but the average family pays $38,967 — a 22% difference. 27.8% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal marker of low family income.

Net price varies enormously by income band, so run Spelman's net price calculator for your own household before drawing conclusions. Why net price is the only cost number that matters.

Programs and academics

Most popular majors

  1. 1Psychology
  2. 2Biology
  3. 3Political Science
  4. 4Economics
  5. 5Computer Science

Standout programs

  • Pre-medical preparation
  • Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM
  • Atlanta University Center cross-registration
  • Social Justice Program
Student-faculty ratio
11:1

IPEDS / National Center for Education StatisticsIPEDS 2023 fall enrollment

First-year retention
94.1%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent first-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Undergraduate enrollment
3,414

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Spelman: questions families ask

Spelman College has held the top position in U.S. News's HBCU ranking for years, with Howard University consistently second. Spelman's distinguishing strength is graduate-school placement — it is among the leading national producers of Black women who go on to earn STEM doctorates — and it also ranks #37 among all national liberal arts colleges, not just HBCUs.

Yes. Spelman belongs to the Atlanta University Center Consortium, the largest consortium of HBCUs in the country, which lets students cross-register at Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse School of Medicine. This substantially expands course and research options beyond what a 2,600-student college offers on its own.

Similar colleges

Matched on institutional character, overlapping majors and comparable cross-source standing.

Tuskegee University

Tuskegee, ALPrivate nonprofit

Verified publisher rankings · federal data

Tuskegee University: U.S. News ranks it #9 on Regional Universities (South) (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #229 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); WSJ ranks it #367 on Best Colleges in the U.S. (2026); Niche ranks it #712 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026); Money lists it on Best Value Colleges (2026) — 3.5 stars. It enrolls 2,630 undergraduates, admits 48.7% of applicants, and posts a 55.0% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $25,386; aid recipients pay $35,013 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $49,641.

Acceptance rate
48.7%
Average net price
$35,013
Median earnings (10 yr)
$49,641
6-yr graduation rate
55.0%
US News · Regional univ. (South)#9 of 135Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#229 of 1,504WSJ · U.S. colleges (WSJ)#367 of 500+2 more on profile

2,630 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 31 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

Tougaloo College

Tougaloo, MSPrivate nonprofit

Verified publisher rankings · federal data

Tougaloo College: Washington Monthly ranks it #502 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); Niche ranks it #834 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 639 undergraduates, admits 59.9% of applicants, and posts a 33.1% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $12,407; aid recipients pay $17,043 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $34,724.

Acceptance rate
59.9%
Average net price
$17,043
Median earnings (10 yr)
$34,724
6-yr graduation rate
33.1%
Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#502 of 1,504Niche · Overall (Niche)#834 of 2,605

639 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 33 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

Philander Smith University

Little Rock, ARPrivate nonprofit

Verified publisher rankings · federal data

Philander Smith University: Niche ranks it #894 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026); Money lists it on Best Value Colleges (2026) — 3 stars. It enrolls 751 undergraduates, admits not reported of applicants, and posts a 30.4% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $13,014; aid recipients pay $14,224 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $38,427.

Acceptance rate
Not reported
Average net price
$14,224
Median earnings (10 yr)
$38,427
6-yr graduation rate
30.4%
Niche · Overall (Niche)#894 of 2,605Money · Best value (Money)Listed · 3 stars

751 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 34 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

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