Shaw University vs Spelman College

Shaw University and Spelman College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Shaw University, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is a historically Black university with a rich history and a diverse student body. Spelman College, situated in Atlanta, Georgia, is a historically Black women's college known for its academic excellence and strong sense of community. While both institutions share a commitment to providing quality education, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover the nuances that set these two institutions apart and make an informed decision about which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Shaw University	Spelman College
Overview
Location	Raleigh, North Carolina	Atlanta, Georgia
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	58.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	65.3%	50.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50	$40
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	2,435	11,176
Total number of admissions given out	1,591	5,673
Admitted students who chose to enroll	142	794
Yield rate	8.9%	14.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$30,270	$48,244
Average net price	$15,498	$28,527
Tuition	$11,808	$25,249
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,842 Meal plan: $4,672	$15,063
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $15,344	96.0% Average amount $10,839
Students receiving federal student loan	70.0% Average amount $5,858	76.0% Average amount $5,707
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $13,812	5.0% Average amount $13,717

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	998 Men 42.8% Women 57.2%	2,417 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Graduate students	143 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	76.0%
International students	6.2%	0.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,144	1,401
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Georgia Maryland Texas California New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Theology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Psychology	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology Health Professions English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	16.3%	76.2%
Dropout rate	81.0%	9.2%
Transferred out	N/A	13.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,104 Year 2: $29,866 Year 3: $37,072 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,535 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $35,008 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,305 Year 3: $31,328 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,703 Year 3: $28,828 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,994 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $26,669 Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,795 Year 2: $23,340 Year 3: N/A	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,695 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $59,027 International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,667 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $52,483 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,355 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $44,720 Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,573 Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: $39,388 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,944 Year 2: $25,525 Year 3: $39,024 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,532 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $38,350 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,318 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $20,552 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,181 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $15,552 Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Shaw University

Oakwood University