At a Glance
MISSION STATEMENT
Spelman College, a historically Black college and a global leader in the education of women of African descent, is dedicated to academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and the intellectual, creative, ethical and leadership development of its students. Spelman empowers the whole person to engage the many cultures of the world and inspires a commitment to positive social change.
PRIDE POINTS
Spelman College has been recognized among the top 100 national liberal arts colleges, and for the 16th straight year, is the No. 1 historically Black college and university in the country, according to the 2022 U.S. News & World Report "Best Colleges" rankings.
Spelman’s current graduation rate of 76 percent (six year average) is the highest among all HBCUs and is well above the national graduation rate (42 percent) for African American students.
With an acceptance rate of 51 percent, Spelman is among the most selective women’s college in the nation. Spelman educates two Gates Millennium Scholars, and the College is annually recognized as one of the leading producers of Fulbright Fellowship winners.
Twelve Spelman students have been named Truman Scholars and 33 Marshall Scholars.
Out of more than 300 applicants across the U.S., Spelman is one of just two colleges in Georgia – and among only three historically black colleges nationwide – named a 2015 First in the World (FITW) grant recipient by the U.S. Department of Education.
Spelman will receive $2.7 million to incorporate new teaching and learning strategies into its curriculum focused on metacognitive learning, a system defined as “thinking about thinking.”
Among the faculty are nationally and internationally recognized and awarded scholars, heads and officers of disciplinary associations, and several patent holders. 90 percent of faculty members have doctoral degrees or the equivalent in their fields.
One-third of our students enter graduate or professional school immediately after college graduation, resulting in Spelman being one of the nation's leading producers of Black female medical students and doctoral candidates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Spelman has been recognized by the National Science Foundation as the leading producer of Black women who go on to earn doctorates in the sciences.
Rankings & Awards
FAST FACTS
ANNUAL BUDGET
$136,322,142 Million
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Endowment approximately $570.8 Million
(as of June 30, 2021)
Endowment Performance in top quartile (Cambridge Associates)
AA (Moody’s)
DEGREES
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS)
MOST POPULAR MAJORS
Biology, Psychology, Political Science, Health Sciences, English, International Studies
STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO
11:1
TECHNOLOGY
1:4 ratio of computers available for student use
COST
$44,551 (Tuition & Fees, $28,885; Room & Board, $15,666)
ENROLLMENT
2,360 – 43 states represented, Top 5 – GA, NY, MD, CA, MD / 11 foreign countries represented
FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS
87 percent receive some form of financial aid
$36,395 average financial aid need before award
Percentage of average need met: 93 percent
39 percent of students are PELL eligible
$20,842 average family contribution
FOUNDED
April 11, 1881 by Sophia Packard and Harriet Giles, Baptist missionaries from Massachusetts.
In gratitude to the philanthropic investment of John D. Rockefeller in 1884, the founders changed the name of their school from Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary to Spelman Seminary in honor of his wife’s parents, Lucy and Harvey Spelman. The seminary became Spelman College in 1924.
TYPE
Private, Independent, Liberal Arts College for Women
COLLEGE MOTTO
“Our Whole School for Christ”
TAG LINE
“A Choice to change the world”
COLORS
Columbia Blue & White
GRADUATION RATE
76 percent (six year average)
AFTER GRADUATION
33 percent reported accepting full-time enrollment to a graduate/professional school
28 percent reported accepting a full-time offer with an employer
(2020-21 Graduates)
ALUMNAE
21,155: Residing in 50 states and 26 countries around the world
Alumnae Participation Rate: 33 percent
CAMPUS
39.1 Acres, 26 Buildings
MASCOT
Jaguars