Spelman College — admissions, outcomes, merit aid & scholarships

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Strong target

Selective but achievable for strong students.

✅ Best for

Students drawn to Social Sciences or Psychology (the two biggest majors)
Families wanting a small undergraduate experience

🎯 The reality

Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1060, or ACT below 21 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus

Total enrollment

3,414

1,000 - 4,999

In-state tuition

$31,556

sticker, before aid

Tuition

$31,556

flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)

Admit rate

34.1%

Selective

SAT middle 50%

1060–1270

EBRW + Math composite

ACT middle 50%

21–27

composite

Test policy

Test-optional

2023

10-yr earnings

$59,993

median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry

$45,676

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$59,993

4-year completion

78%

Median debt (completers)

$25,000

Cost of attendance

$50,952

sticker price, not net

Pell-eligible students

28%

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Spelman College

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Spelman College actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Social Sciences

108 degrees · 37.6%

Typical career outcomes

Economist $118k Political Scientist $130k Sociologist $93k Market Research Analyst $75k

Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.

2. Psychology

63 degrees · 22.0%

Typical career outcomes

HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k

Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.

3. Biological & Biomedical Sciences

45 degrees · 15.7%

Typical career outcomes

Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k

Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.

4. Health Professions

39 degrees · 13.6%

Typical career outcomes

Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k

Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.

5. Visual & Performing Arts

32 degrees · 11.1%

Typical career outcomes

Graphic Designer $59k Art Director $106k Multimedia Artist / Animator $99k Musician / Singer $39k

Highly variable. Steady-pay roles cluster in design, illustration, production. Performance careers have very wide income distributions.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Spelman College

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP)	Credential	Cohort	1-yr earnings	4-yr earnings
Mathematics.	Bachelor's Degree	10	—	$94,634
Economics.	Bachelor's Degree	42	$59,907	$79,456
Political Science and Government.	Bachelor's Degree	50	$39,050	$66,378
Sociology.	Bachelor's Degree	19	—	$62,587
English Language and Literature, General.	Bachelor's Degree	35	$31,129	$62,425
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General.	Bachelor's Degree	44	$28,357	$60,978
International/Globalization Studies.	Bachelor's Degree	22	$25,753	$56,538
Psychology, General.	Bachelor's Degree	70	$29,343	$52,775
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.	Bachelor's Degree	9	—	$50,364
Biology, General.	Bachelor's Degree	69	$21,638	$48,995

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Spelman College

CS degrees (annual)

16

CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Spelman College vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Spelman College

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options

These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Spelman College doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.

University of Alabama in Huntsville

AL · Public

39 auto-merit scholarships on file

Texas Tech University

TX · Public

31 auto-merit scholarships on file

The University of Alabama

AL · Public

23 auto-merit scholarships on file

Mississippi State University

MS · Public

19 auto-merit scholarships on file