10-yr median earnings
$59,993
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Atlanta, Georgia
Spelman College
Spelman College is a private nonprofit institution in Atlanta, Georgia. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $59,993
- 10-yr median earnings
- 24.9%
- Acceptance rate
- $38,967
- Avg net price / yr
- 77.3%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Spelman College pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with a very selective admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 16%
- former-student earnings, US
- 24.9%
- acceptance rate
- 77.3%
- 150%-time completion
- +31%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: Bacc: A&S
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Spelman College profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C-
College Value Score
52/100
Spelman College
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A-
$59,993
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$38,967
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A-
77.3%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$25,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment F
50.8%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A+
94.1%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$38,967
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
77.3%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 77.3%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Spelman College vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Spelman College ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Spelman College: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$59,993 Top 16% higher than 84% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Spelman College | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $59,993 | #793 of 5103 | 84th |
| Average net price | $38,967 | #4865 of 5020 | 3rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 77.3% | #851 of 4858 | 82nd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,414 | #995 of 5462 | 82nd |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
3,414
Undergraduate enrollment
24.9%
Acceptance rate
1,220
SAT average
77.3%
150%-time completion
$59,993
10-yr median earnings
94.1%
First-year retention
How Spelman College ranks in Georgia
State rank among 141 reporting Georgia colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Spelman College | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $59,993 | #10 of 141 | 93rd |
| Average net price | $38,967 | #122 of 127 | 4th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 77.3% | #9 of 123 | 93rd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,414 | #35 of 133 | 74th |
Highest former-student earnings in Georgia
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami Ad School-Atlanta | $106,192 | $60,682 |
| 2 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | $102,772 | $12,116 |
| 3 | Chamberlain University-Georgia | $92,405 | $33,188 |
| 4 | United States University | $80,980 | - |
| 5 | Emory University | $80,137 | $22,585 |
| 6 | Emory University-Oxford College | $80,137 | $37,920 |
| 7 | University of Georgia | $68,726 | $13,936 |
| 8 | Galen Health Institutes-Savannah | $61,480 | - |
| 9 | Grady Health System Professional Schools | $60,726 | - |
| 10 | Spelman CollegeThis school | $59,993 | $38,967 |
| 11 | Mercer University | $58,354 | $23,847 |
| 12 | Georgia College & State University | $58,140 | $20,686 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 24.9% |
| SAT Average | 1,220 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 518 – 640 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 590 – 680 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 22 – 29 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Spelman College
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$32,923 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$34,108 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$36,602 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$44,529 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Spelman College - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $31,556 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $31,556 |
| Average Net Price | $38,967 |
27.8%
Pell Grant Rate
48.1%
Federal Loan Rate
$25,000
Median Debt
$265/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Spelman College swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $29,102 to $44,833 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +15.4%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$29,102
Highest year
$44,833
Most recent (2023)
$36,828
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $31,9232023 · $36,828
Over the same years, enrollment went +70.6% (2,129 → 3,633 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
20.7%
First Generation
Outcomes
94.1%
Retention Rate
$45,676
Median Earnings (6yr)
61.5%
Earning Over $25K
50.8%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 77.3% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 94.1% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $45,676 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $59,993 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 61.5% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 50.8% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $265/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Top programs at Spelman College by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Mathematics
Mathematics
$94,634 median earnings
- Economics
Economics
$79,456 median earnings
- Political Science and Gove…
Political Science and Government
$66,378 median earnings
- Sociology
Sociology
$62,587 median earnings
- English Language and Liter…
English Language and Literature, General
$62,425 median earnings
- Health Services/Allied Hea…
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
$60,978 median earnings
- International/Globalizatio…
International/Globalization Studies
$56,538 median earnings
- Psychology, General
Psychology, General
$52,775 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Bachelor's | 10 | $94,634 | - |
| Economics | Bachelor's | 42 | $79,456 | $26,375 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's | 50 | $66,378 | $26,250 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's | 19 | $62,587 | $26,747 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's | 35 | $62,425 | $25,314 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Bachelor's | 44 | $60,978 | $24,705 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Bachelor's | 22 | $56,538 | $27,000 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's | 70 | $52,775 | $25,674 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's | 9 | $50,364 | $27,000 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's | 69 | $48,995 | $26,000 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's | 22 | $25,137 | $25,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's | 19 | - | - |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's | 4 | - | - |
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Spelman College? ▼
Spelman College is a private nonprofit institution in Atlanta, Georgia. The acceptance rate is 24.9%. The average SAT score is 1,220. Undergraduate enrollment is 3,414 students.
How much do Spelman College former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Spelman College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $59,993 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $45,676.
How much does Spelman College cost? ▼
The average net price at Spelman College is $38,967. In-state tuition is $31,556 and out-of-state tuition is $31,556. Median student debt at graduation is $25,000.
What is the graduation rate at Spelman College? ▼
Spelman College has a 77.3% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 94.1%.
Is Spelman College worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Spelman College is $25,000, while former students earn a median of $59,993 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 42% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 50.8% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $265.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Spelman College
- Compare Spelman College against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Georgia side by side.Browse Georgia
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.