- Acceptance rate: 25% for fall 2024
- Average high school GPA: 3.96, as reported by the college for 2025–26
- SAT, middle 50%: 590–680 reading and writing, 518–640 math
- ACT, middle 50%: 22–29 composite
- Average net price: $37,403 a year (2022–23)
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How does your GPA compare?
Don't know your GPA? Check my GPA
Where you standEnter your GPA
Type your GPA to compare it with what Spelman College reported: an average GPA of 3.96 (2025–26), an acceptance rate of 25% for fall 2024 and an ACT middle 50% of 22–29.
Weighted GPAs above 4.0 can't be compared directly. Many colleges recalculate on their own scale, so use your unweighted GPA here.
A guide based on reported data, not a prediction. Spelman College reviews each application.
Spelman College average GPA
Spelman College reported an average high school GPA of 3.96 for its first-year students who submitted one (99% did), in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether it's weighted or unweighted.
An average, not a cutoffColleges calculate GPA in different ways, so this figure can't be compared directly with your own GPA.
Spelman College acceptance rate
Spelman College admitted 2,990 of 12,023 first-year applicants for fall 2024, an acceptance rate of 25%, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Spelman College is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Atlanta, Georgia, with 3,417 undergraduates.
SAT and ACT scores
Scores of the first-year students who entered Spelman College in fall 2024 and submitted them. Half of them scored between the 25th and 75th percentiles:
| Test | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading and Writing | 590 | 630 | 680 |
| SAT Math | 518 | 590 | 640 |
| ACT Composite | 22 | 25 | 29 |
| ACT English | 21 | 26 | 31 |
| ACT Math | 18 | 23 | 26 |
The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard estimates an average SAT score of 1220 for admitted students.
Admission requirements
What Spelman College looks at when it decides on first-year applicants, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024:
| Admission factor | Status |
|---|---|
| High School GPAYour cumulative high school grade point average. | Required |
| High School RecordYour transcript: the courses you took and the grades you earned. | Required |
| College Preparatory ProgramCompletion of a college preparatory curriculum in high school. | Required |
| RecommendationsLetters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or other mentors. | Required |
| Essay or Personal StatementA personal statement or essay written for your application. | Required |
| High School Class RankYour ranking relative to other students in your graduating class. | Considered if submitted |
| Test ScoresSAT or ACT scores. | Considered if submitted |
| Other TestsOther admission tests, such as the Wonderlic or WISC-III. | Considered if submitted |
| Demonstration of CompetenciesEvidence of specific skills through portfolios, auditions, or other demonstrations. | Considered if submitted |
| Work ExperiencePaid or volunteer work. | Considered if submitted |
| Legacy StatusWhether a parent or other relative attended the college. | Not considered |
AP credit
Spelman College awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
It doesn't award credit for life experience.
Average net price
First-time, full-time undergraduates who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average net price of $37,403 a year at Spelman College in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to get into Spelman?
Selective: fewer than half of applicants got in. Spelman College admitted 25% of first-year applicants for fall 2024.
Do you need SAT or ACT scores to apply to Spelman?
No. Spelman College is test optional: it considers SAT or ACT scores if you send them, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024. Of its fall 2024 first-year students, 23% sent SAT scores and 16% sent ACT scores.
How important is GPA for getting into Spelman?
A lot: Spelman College requires high school GPA, high school record, college preparatory program, recommendations and essay or personal statement. It considers high school class rank, test scores, other tests, demonstration of competencies and work experience if you send them. It doesn't consider legacy status. That's what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
Do I have a chance at Spelman with a 3.5 GPA?
GPA alone can't tell you here. Spelman College admitted 25% of first-year applicants for fall 2024. It requires a high school GPA but hasn't published an average we could verify, so there's no admitted-student GPA to compare a 3.5 against. Your transcript and test scores are the clearer guide.
How many applicants get into Spelman?
Spelman College's acceptance rate was 25% for fall 2024: it admitted 2,990 of 12,023 first-year applicants, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education.
What GPA do you need to get into Spelman?
Spelman College doesn't set a minimum GPA we could verify. Its first-year students averaged 3.96, as reported by the college in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether that average is weighted or unweighted.
What SAT and ACT scores do Spelman students have?
The middle 50% of Spelman College's fall 2024 first-year students who sent scores had SAT 590–680 in reading and writing and 518–640 in math; ACT composite 22–29, according to what the college reported to the U.S. Department of Education. A quarter scored below that range.
Can you get college credit for AP scores at Spelman?
Yes. Spelman College awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
How much does Spelman cost after financial aid?
First-time, full-time undergraduates who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average of $37,403 a year at Spelman College in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Does it matter at Spelman if a parent went there?
No. Spelman College doesn't consider whether a parent or other relative attended, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
Before you apply, check Spelman's official admissions site: requirements can differ by program and change from year to year.
Sources
- College Navigator: Spelman CollegeU.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2024–25 provisional data): admissions, test scores and admission factors for fall 2024, undergraduate enrollment for fall 2024, net price for 2022–23 and credit policies for 2024–25.
- Spelman College Common Data Set 2025–26Spelman College: average high school GPA of first-year students.
- College Scorecard dataAverage SAT: an estimate by the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 10, 2026 release).
Similar colleges in Georgia
With a similar acceptance rate and size.
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- Georgia Institute of Technology Main CampusHard · 14% admitted
- University of West GeorgiaFairly easy · 52% admitted