Spelman College vs Birmingham-Southern College

Spelman College and Birmingham-Southern College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Spelman, a historically Black women's college, boasts a 58% acceptance rate, while Birmingham-Southern, a private liberal arts college, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 65%. Both colleges offer a diverse range of majors, with Spelman excelling in fields like biology and psychology, and Birmingham-Southern excelling in business and education. While Spelman's student body is predominantly female, Birmingham-Southern has a more balanced gender ratio. Additionally, Spelman boasts a higher graduation rate of 73% compared to Birmingham-Southern's 63%. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the unique characteristics of each college and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Birmingham-Southern College logo

Birmingham-Southern College

Spelman College logo

Spelman College

Overview

Location Birmingham, Alabama Atlanta, Georgia
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 78.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 65.9% 50.8%
Application fees $50 $40
SAT range 1090 - 1240 N/A
ACT range 22 - 28 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 7.0%
Students submitting ACT score 54.0%
Total number of applicants 2,461 11,176
Total number of admissions given out 1,622 5,673
Admitted students who chose to enroll 244 794
Yield rate 15.0% 14.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $33,790 $48,244
Average net price $22,888 $28,527
Tuition $18,850 $25,249
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,900

Meal plan: $5,650
$15,063
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

97.0%
Average amount $10,781
96.0%
Average amount $10,839
Students receiving federal student loan 79.0%
Average amount $3,074
76.0%
Average amount $5,707
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $13,570
5.0%
Average amount $13,717

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,058
Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
2,417
Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 38.4% 76.0%
International students 1.5% 0.7%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,418 1,401
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Alabama Georgia Tennessee Florida Texas Georgia Maryland Texas California New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Education
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Health Professions
  • English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 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 69.8% 76.2%
Dropout rate 4.8% 9.2%
Transferred out 24.7% 13.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,374
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $50,065
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,048
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,580
  • Year 2: $26,933
  • 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

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