by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending Spelman College, including attendance costs, projected four- and two-year degree costs, average net price, debt outcomes, and how aid is distributed across income levels.
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Published attendance costs at Spelman College amounts to about $49,349.00 a year.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $31,556.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $17,793.00 |
| Total cost | $49,349.00 |
| That is 50% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $49,349.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$11,985.00 |
| Net price | $37,364.00 |
| That is 14% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $49,349.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$18,029.00 |
| Net price | $31,320.00 |
| That is 5% below the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on tuition and fees and room and board. |
Published costs have climbed year over year at a recent average of 3.8% per year; the projections below compound that across a degree. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. Loan figures amortise the projected total over ten years at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Freshman year | $32,525.00 | $38,802.00 | $51,248.00 |
| Senior year | $36,426.00 | $43,455.00 | $57,394.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $137,803.00 | $164,396.00 | $217,128.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $52,498.00 | $62,629.00 | $82,718.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,586.00 | $1,892.00 | $2,499.00 |
| Total amount paid | $190,301.00 | $227,025.00 | $299,846.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Freshman year | $32,525.00 | $38,802.00 | $51,248.00 |
| Senior year | $33,776.00 | $40,295.00 | $53,220.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $66,302.00 | $79,096.00 | $104,467.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $25,259.00 | $30,133.00 | $39,798.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $763.00 | $910.00 | $1,202.00 |
| Total amount paid | $91,560.00 | $109,229.00 | $144,266.00 |
Read more in the net-price section.
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published sticker price. This is the more honest cost figure for most families, since it accounts for institutional and federal aid.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $38,967.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $36,828.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. Here is the average net price for each family-income range:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $31,898.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $31,961.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $34,390.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $35,209.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $42,201.00 |
Run your own numbers with the Spelman College Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
Dig into how aid is awarded on the financial aid page.
Median graduate debt at Spelman College amounts to $21,750.00, placing the school in the Moderate ($20-30k) debt-burden category.
The full distribution of debt at graduation looks like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,500.00 |
| 25th | $13,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $21,750.00 |
| 75th | $31,000.00 |
| 90th | $40,000.00 |
The distance from the 10th to the 90th percentile shows how widely debt outcomes vary.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student loan debt detail.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $22,796.00 |
| Middle income | $22,469.00 |
| High income | $21,500.00 |
Graduates from lower-income families carry $1,296.00 in additional median debt versus high-income graduates.
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $22,750.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $21,500.00 |
First-generation borrowers from Spelman College hold $1,250.00 more debt than continuing-generation students.
The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant for undergraduates from low-income families. Comparing Pell recipients vs non-recipients shows how debt is distributed by need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at Spelman College comes to $2,750.00. This school is flagged by the Department of Education for Pell-related debt inequity.
The Department of Education default-rate tier for Spelman College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 7.5% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Spelman College come to $245,836,886.00 across 10,859 borrowers.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid including the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance from the Department of Defense.
| GI Bill recipients | 57 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $22,743.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the veteran aid breakdown.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh Spelman College, a few questions are worth asking:
Dig further into the cost picture with the related pages below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.