Spotlight by Laura Taylor
Spelman College is a Black, all women’s college located in Atlanta, Georgia and was rated one of the best liberal arts schools by US News and World Report. The school was founded on April 11th, 1881 by a woman named Sophia B. Packard. The school’s original name was Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary but the school’s name later changed to Spelman College. Spelman has a total of 2,100 students. Tuition for the 2014-2015 school year was $25,496 and its’ acceptance rate is 40.8%. While some students may not like the idea of an all-girls school, for some young women, an all-girls school may be a good choice to help eliminate distractions and to be able to focus fully on academics.
Spelman College is a Historically Black College (HBCU) and is currently ranked #1 by U.S. News and World Report News of the HBCUs. Historically Black Colleges and Universities are colleges and universities within the United States that were founded by African Americans to serve that specific student population. Although it is not required to be an African American to attend HBCUs, they have traditionally provided a great education and opportunities for students of color. Currently there are 106 HBCUs across the United States.
Spelman does not have an athletic program, but does offer many clubs and organizations including ROTC and Greek life. The sororities include: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Gamma Sigma Sigma, Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Sorority, Zeta Phi Beta, and Sigma Gamma Pho.
Numerous famous women have attended Spelman College including the author Alice Walker and the actress Keshia Knight Pulliam. The school mascot is the Lady Jaguars.
School Name: Spelman College
Year founded: 1881
Location: Atlanta, GA
Student-faculty ratio: 10:1
Most common majors: psychology, biology, political science
Graduation Rate: 60%
Athletics: None
Mascot: Lady Jaguars