Spelman College

A spirit of purposeful leadership and transformative service defines the intellectual life at Spelman College, the nation’s premier liberal arts college dedicated to the education of women of African descent. Founded in 1881 by Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles in the basement of Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Spelman has grown into a globally recognized institution ranked the number one Historically Black College or University for nineteen consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report and placed at number 37 among National Liberal Arts Colleges. Situated on a historic 39-acre campus in the heart of Atlanta, the College is a member of the Atlanta University Center Consortium—the world’s largest consortium of HBCUs—alongside Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, and the Morehouse School of Medicine. With approximately 2,600 undergraduate women, Spelman cultivates an intimate academic community where intellectual rigor, cultural pride, and a commitment to social justice converge to produce graduates who lead with distinction across every field.

Academic excellence and community engagement are inseparable at Spelman, where the campus functions as an incubator for scholarship, creative inquiry, and civic leadership. A dedicated 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio ensures that every student receives meaningful mentorship and personalized attention from faculty who are both accomplished scholars and deeply invested teachers. Spelman is the nation’s leading producer of Black women who complete doctoral degrees in STEM fields, and its curriculum spans the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and arts with a strong emphasis on undergraduate research and interdisciplinary study. For international applicants, Spelman offers a limited number of competitive merit-based scholarships; however, need-based institutional financial aid is not available to international students. Through this blend of historic mission, academic distinction, and the empowering energy of Atlanta’s vibrant cultural landscape, Spelman graduates emerge as confident, globally minded leaders prepared to fulfill the College’s enduring promise: "A Choice to Change the World."