Spelman College vs Colby College

Spelman College, a historically Black women's college in Atlanta, Georgia, and Colby College, a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine, offer distinct educational experiences. Spelman boasts a 58% acceptance rate, while Colby's is 13%. Both institutions excel in academics, with Spelman's popular majors including Biology, Psychology, and Business Administration, and Colby's strengths lying in Economics, Government, and Biology. Spelman's student body is predominantly female (99%), while Colby's is more gender-balanced (52% female, 48% male). Spelman's graduation rate stands at 75%, while Colby's is slightly higher at 89%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these two esteemed institutions and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Colby College logo

Colby College

Spelman College logo

Spelman College

Overview

Location Waterville, Maine Atlanta, Georgia
Campus setting Town: Remote 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 95.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 8.9% 50.8%
Application fees $40
SAT range 1400 - 1530 N/A
ACT range 32 - 34 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 40.0%
Students submitting ACT score 28.0%
Total number of applicants 15,857 11,176
Total number of admissions given out 1,407 5,673
Admitted students who chose to enroll 667 794
Yield rate 47.4% 14.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $68,825 $48,244
Average net price $17,912 $28,527
Tuition $58,640 $25,249
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,150

Meal plan: $7,595
$15,063
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

39.0%
Average amount $58,513
96.0%
Average amount $10,839
Students receiving federal student loan 8.0%
Average amount $5,140
76.0%
Average amount $5,707
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $18,242
5.0%
Average amount $13,717

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,262
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
2,417
Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 76.0%
International students 9.5% 0.7%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote City: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,242 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
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Health Professions
  • English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 86.6% 76.2%
Dropout rate 5.7% 9.2%
Transferred out 7.5% 13.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,540
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $83,980
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,972
  • Year 2: $47,118
  • Year 3: $55,529
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,350
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $53,638
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $42,883
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,156
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $40,423
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,612
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,193
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: N/A
Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $44,971
  • 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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