Spelman College Jumps Several Spots in U.S. News & World Report's College Rankings, Remains No. 1 HBCU
Sep 15, 2020, 08:05 ET
ATLANTA, Sept. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Spelman College moved up on multiple 2021 U.S. News & World Report college ranking lists. The College has increased its standing from No. 57 to No. 54 in the National Liberal Arts rankings. Five years ago, Spelman was No. 77. The rise in rankings is a testament to the College's continuing efforts to improve its academic outcomes. Spelman is also listed as No. 4 on the list of Top Performers in Social Mobility, up from No. 6 last year. For the 14th year in a row, Spelman is the No. 1 historically Black college or university in the country.
Up from No. 22 in 2020, the College has risen to No. 19 on the list for Undergraduate Teaching for National Liberal Arts Colleges. Spelman jumped 13 places, from No. 76 last year to No. 63 this year, on the list of First Year Experiences and is No. 10 on the list of Most Innovative Schools of National Liberal Arts Colleges.
"U.S. News & World Report's rankings acknowledge the quality academic experience our outstanding faculty provide our students," said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., Spelman president. "We are especially proud of the recognition of undergraduate teaching, academic innovation and our ability to be effective as agents of social mobility."
Spelman's excellence continues to attract a robust pool of first year applicants. This year, Spelman received 9,115 applications. The 596 fall enrollees represent the largest incoming class in the last decade. Total enrollment tops 2,200 students for the fall semester.
"This year's enrollment gains are a reflection of students and families understanding that our current times require the type of educational experience that only Spelman can provide," said Ingrid Hayes, vice president of enrollment management. "We prioritize academic excellence, leadership development, political and social awareness, historical context and service to aid and uplift all. These tools are essential for the next generation of innovators and change makers, no matter their chosen career disciplines."
Liberal Arts
U.S. News' National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking focuses almost exclusively on those institutions that offer an undergraduate education and award at least 50 percent of their degrees in the arts and sciences. Spelman's wide range of liberal arts disciplines include outstanding programs in STEM, the humanities and the arts, including new programs in documentary filmmaking, curatorial studies, art history and photography.
Undergraduate Teaching
Spelman's faculty are receiving significant grants, publishing valuable research and receiving recognition for innovative best practices. A selection of the College's recent faculty excellence includes:
Innovation
Spelman continues to develop innovative initiatives in terms of curriculum, faculty, students and campus life, including:
About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College's picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The College's status is confirmed by U.S. News and World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 57 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 22 for undergraduate teaching and No. 6 for both innovation and social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 13th year among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Recent initiatives include a designation by the Department of Defense as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, a Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute, the first endowed queer studies chair at an HBCU, and a program to increase the number of Black women Ph.D.s in economics. New majors have been added, including documentary filmmaking and photography, and partnerships have been established with MIT's Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the Army Research Lab for artificial intelligence and machine learning. Outstanding alumnae include Children's Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, Starbucks Group President and COO Rosalind Brewer, political leader Stacey Abrams, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman's first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, actress and producer Latanya Richardson Jackson, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones. For more information, visit www.spelman.edu.
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