Spelman College is a private historically Black liberal arts college for women in Atlanta and part of the Atlanta University Center. Sophia Packard and Harriet Giles opened it on April 11, 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, in the basement of Friendship Baptist Church, with about eleven students, mostly formerly enslaved women eager to read and write. John D. Rockefeller's support led to the 1884 name Spelman Seminary, after the family of his wife Laura Spelman. It became Spelman College in 1924 and awarded its first college degrees in 1901. Newsweek ranked it first in its inaugural 2026 list of best colleges for women. Its Class of 2026 produced seven valedictorians, over 650 first-year students arrived in fall 2026, and Ayanna Howard became the twelfth president on August 1, 2026.
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Spelman is test-optional and publishes no minimum GPA, though admitted students are very strong academically. The college reported a 19 percent acceptance rate.
Dates, fees and criteria change every session. Always confirm them on the official admissions page before applying.
Location
350 Spelman Ln SW, Atlanta, GA 30314, United States, Georgia
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