Spelman College campus
Atlanta, United States
Photo: Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA)

Spelman College

Atlanta·university

37%

Acceptance rate

$33,608

Tuition/yr

2,300

Enrollment

About Spelman College

Prestigious HBCU for women in Atlanta, GA. Strong STEM, liberal arts, and pre-med programs.

Spelman College is a private, four-year historically Black liberal arts college for women, founded in 1881 and located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is one of the most selective HBCUs in the United States, with an acceptance rate of approximately 23.5% for the Class of 2029 and a total undergraduate enrollment of around 2,500 students.

The college offers 36 majors and 39 minors, with particular strength in STEM, public health, English, political science, and the arts. Spelman is consistently recognized for its emphasis on undergraduate teaching and social mobility, U.S. News & World Report ranked it #1 HBCU for the 19th consecutive year in 2026 and #37 among all national liberal arts colleges.

The campus sits in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta, within the Atlanta University Center Consortium alongside Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University, giving students access to a broader network of resources, cross-registration, and a large alumni base spanning 47 states and 24 countries.

World University Rankings

US News Best Global Universities (2025)##37 National Liberal Arts Colleges; #1 HBCU (2026)

Campus & Location

Province

GA

Campus setting

Urban

Cost of living: Housing: USD 1,200–2,000/mo | Food: USD 380–600/mo | Major tech hub; growing Nepali community. Georgia Tech is near many Fortune 500 HQs.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.

For Nepali students

  • Spelman accepts international applicants from any country and offers a limited number of competitive merit-based scholarships to incoming first-year students based on academics, standardized scores, and leadership, a realistic funding avenue for high-achieving Nepali women who meet the academic profile.
  • Graduates on an F-1 visa are eligible for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) in their field of study, with STEM graduates qualifying for a 24-month OPT extension, giving international students meaningful US work experience after graduation.
  • Annual tuition and mandatory fees for 2026–2027 total approximately $33,600 for off-campus students (tuition $30,042 + fees $3,566), placing Spelman in a mid-range cost tier among US liberal arts colleges, though international students must fully self-fund without need-based aid.
  • For Nepali students interested in public health, biology, or social sciences, Spelman's strong track record of sending graduates to top graduate and medical schools, and its location in a major US city with a diverse South Asian professional community, offers both academic and professional networking advantages.

Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents

A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:

GPA 3.060%+ in NEB +2, B+ average in Cambridge A-levels, or Second Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.370%+ in NEB +2 or First Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.675%+ in NEB +2 or First Division with Distinction in a TU bachelor's degree.
IELTS 6.5The most common graduate minimum — achievable with 2–3 months of focused preparation. IELTS 7.0+ needed for the most competitive programs.

Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.

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Data last verified: 2026-06-19 · Source: https://www.spelman.edu. Information may change — verify with Spelman College’s official website before applying.