Spelman College
Spelman College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Spelman College Featured Rankings
About Spelman College
According to Wikipedia, Spelman College is a private, historically Black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. 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.
Spelman College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,610 | 25% | 94% | 77% | 1214 | 25 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Spelman College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $32,470 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $41,125 |
| 30K - 48K | $41,146 |
| 48K - 75K | $44,626 |
| 75K - 110K | $47,999 |
| 110K+ | $50,714 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Spelman College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Spelman College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $65,773 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Spelman College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 4,039 | 4,039 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Spelman College?
Spelman College is located at 350 Spelman Lane SW, Atlanta, GA 30314-4399.
How Safe is Spelman College?
Relative to its enrollment, Spelman College has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of 0.12%. Atlanta has a violent crime rate of 0.60% and a property crime rate of 3.55%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Spelman College Known For?
Spelman College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Sociology
- Education
- Literature
- History
- Political Science
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Medical
- Physics
- Business
- Biology
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
- Computer Science
- Anthropology
- Engineering
Spelman College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Spelman College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Spelman College ranks #126 in the U.S. and #428 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesSpelman College ranks #131 in the U.S. and #493 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesSpelman College ranks #149 in the U.S. and #411 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesSpelman College ranks #149 in the U.S. and #406 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesSpelman College ranks #153 in the U.S. and #617 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesSpelman College ranks #155 in the U.S. and #576 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesSpelman College ranks #206 in the U.S. and #979 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesSpelman College ranks #216 in the U.S. and #1034 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesSpelman College ranks #221 in the U.S. and #528 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesSpelman College ranks #224 in the U.S. and #527 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesSpelman College ranks #236 in the U.S. and #848 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesSpelman College ranks #266 in the U.S. and #1134 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesSpelman College ranks #267 in the U.S. and #894 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesSpelman College ranks #318 in the U.S. and #1297 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesSpelman College ranks #324 in the U.S. and #1069 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesSpelman College ranks #325 in the U.S. and #1406 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesSpelman College ranks #333 in the U.S. and #1456 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesSpelman College ranks #342 in the U.S. and #1057 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesSpelman College ranks #400 in the U.S. and #2436 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWho Are Spelman College's Most Influential Alumni?
Spelman College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of History, Sociology, and Literature. Here are some of Spelman College's most famous alumni:
- Alice Walker
- An American author and activist .
- Marian Wright Edelman
- An American children's rights activist.
- Christine King Farris
- A Civil rights leader and sister of Martin Luther King, Jr..
- Lisa D. Cook
- An American economist and teacher.
- Alberta Williams King
- A Mother of Martin Luther King, Jr..
- Audrey F. Manley
- An American doctor.
- Kiron Skinner
- An American writer.
- Ruha Benjamin
- A Sociologist from Ethiopia.
- Melina Abdullah
- An Activist and academic.
- Rosalyn Scott
- An African-American thoracic surgeon.
- Evelynn M. Hammonds
- An American academic.
- Jacquelyn Grant
- An American feminist.
