Quad

Head-to-head

Howard
Spelman

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Howard's grants cover 38% of its full price on average, vs. 20% at Spelman

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    Howard has 3.0× as many undergrads as Spelman

    Undergrads
  3. 3

    Howard is more diverse (index 0.40 vs. 0.26)

    Diversity index
  4. 4

    Spelman graduates 12 pts more of its students than Howard (77% vs. 64%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    Howard has 12 pts more Pell recipients than Spelman (40% vs. 28%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  6. 6

    Spelman is 2.2× more selective than Howard

    Acceptance rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Spelman admits 19%, Howard 42%; Spelman's yield is higher, at 24%.

Acceptance rate
Howard42%
Spelman19%
Quad's selectivity
  • HowardSelective
  • SpelmanVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
Howard
1050–1270
Spelman
1100–1300
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • HowardRigor, GPA, and tests very important50%
  • SpelmanRigor and GPA very important82%

Who's on each campus

Howard is three times Spelman's size and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Howard10.1K
Spelman3.4K
Pell Grant share
Howard40%
Spelman28%

Majors and faculty

Biology/Biological Sciences leads at Howard, and Psychology at Spelman; Spelman has 11 students per faculty member to Howard's 13.

Students per faculty member
Howard13 to 1
Spelman11 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • HowardBiology/Biological Sciences, General10%
  • SpelmanPsychology, General18%

What each costs

Howard costs about $7.6K less a year than Spelman on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Howard$33.6K
Spelman$41.2K
Aid generosity
Howard38%
Spelman20%

What each pays off

Howard's former students earn more, a median $63.1K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Howard$63.1K
Spelman$60K
Graduation rate
Howard64%
Spelman77%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • HowardGrowing+149%
  • SpelmanGrowing+178%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:Howard University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;Howard University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;Howard University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Spelman College (Fall 2026), Fall 2026;Spelman College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Spelman College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Spelman College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why