Spelman College Welcomes the Class of 2029

Over 650 Students Join the Spelman Sisterhood

New Student Orientation 2025 at Spelman was filled with traditional ceremonies, tearful goodbyes and new beginnings as the College welcomed over 650 new students to campus.

Each year, NSO facilitates the smooth transition of new students into the Spelman community by introducing them to the College’s mission, history, and sacred sisterhood. This year’s theme, “When and Where I Enter: Honoring Our Past... Claiming Our Future,” not only highlighted Spelman’s rich historical legacy, but also celebrated the excitement of what’s to come.

From August 13-19, students engaged in annual orientation activities, including “When and Where I Enter,” where they received an inspiring welcome and a taste of the College’s rich history from their Spelman sisters and Interim President Roz Brewer, C’84; the Closing Celebration, an emotional gathering of new students and their loved ones marking a bittersweet start of a new chapter at Spelman; Joint Convocation, a tradition that collectively joins Spelman and Morehouse College students together for the first time; and the Induction Ceremony, a time-honored tradition where new students, adorned in white, are officially welcomed into the illustrious Spelman sisterhood by alumnae.


The Class of 2029

Spelman continues to attract the brightest minds from all over the world. This year, the College received over 11,500 first-year applications and 262 transfer applications for Fall 2025. Ultimately, 651 first-year students and six transfer students were enrolled, bringing the total undergraduate population to over 2,500. Spelman’s current acceptance rate is 23.5%, a drop from 25% in 2024.

“The Class of 2029 enters Spelman in a year of record-breaking selectivity, distinguished by their academic success, leadership, and service,” said Chelsea Holley, director of admissions. “Students from across the globe continue to choose Spelman for its legacy of excellence and its unique role as a community that both challenges and affirms them.”

The incoming class includes students from 37 states and U.S. territories and three foreign countries. This year, roughly 20% of incoming students are first-generation college students, meaning they will be the first in their families to earn a baccalaureate degree.

While Georgia residents make up 22% of the Class of 2029, the majority come from the Northeast (34%) and the South outside of Georgia (26%). This year’s incoming class holds an average GPA of 3.97.

Top majors include biology, health science, psychology, economics and political science.