Spelman College vs Salem College

Spelman College and Salem College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences for women seeking academic excellence. Spelman, a historically Black college in Atlanta, Georgia, boasts a 58% acceptance rate and a student body that is predominantly African American. Salem, a liberal arts college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has a higher acceptance rate of 75% and a more diverse student body. While Spelman excels in STEM fields, with popular majors including biology, chemistry, and computer science, Salem's strengths lie in the humanities and social sciences, with popular majors such as English, history, and psychology. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Spelman at 75% and Salem at 68%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions between these two exceptional institutions and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Salem College logo

Salem College

Spelman College logo

Spelman College

Overview

Location Winston-Salem, North Carolina 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 Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 62.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate 90.2% 50.8%
Application fees $30 $40
SAT range 1053 - 1200 N/A
ACT range 17 - 21 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 13.0%
Students submitting ACT score 21.0%
Total number of applicants 479 11,176
Total number of admissions given out 432 5,673
Admitted students who chose to enroll 48 794
Yield rate 11.1% 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) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $35,016 $48,244
Average net price $11,408 $28,527
Tuition $30,500 $25,249
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,150

Meal plan: $6,150
$15,063
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $26,404
96.0%
Average amount $10,839
Students receiving federal student loan 51.0%
Average amount $4,282
76.0%
Average amount $5,707
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $3,977
5.0%
Average amount $13,717

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 364
Men 1.9% Women 98.1%
2,417
Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Graduate students 132
Men 9.1% Women 90.9%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Very Low
Out-of-state students 15.6% 76.0%
International students N/A 0.7%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 386 1,401
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from North Carolina Virginia Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Maryland Texas California New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • English Language and Literature
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • 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 67.4% 76.2%
Dropout rate 9.8% 9.2%
Transferred out 22.8% 13.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,373
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $41,915
Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,850
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,313
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,085
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,016
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $21,118
  • Year 2: N/A
  • 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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