Howard vs. Spelman vs. Morehouse

Should I go to Howard University or Spelman College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Howard or Spelman is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Howard University vs. Spelman College vs. Morehouse College comparison
Howard University Spelman College Morehouse College College 4
Howard University Spelman College Morehouse College
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Overview

 Howard Spelman Morehouse
Location Washington, DC Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA
Setting Large City Large City Large City
Enrollment 13,416 3,633 2,738
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #249 #324
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu spelman.edu morehouse.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 Howard Spelman Morehouse
Tuition (In State) $32,878 $26,915 $27,984
Tuition (Out of State) $32,878 $26,915 $27,984
Room & Board $16,474 $16,293 $14,964
Avg Net Price $30,028 $37,403 $34,733
Avg Grant Aid $21,422 $11,994 $12,643
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 96% 83%

Admission

 Howard Spelman Morehouse
Applied 30,342 10,610 5,610
Admitted 10,587 3,617 2,883
Acceptance Rate 34.9% 34.1% 51.4%
Enrolled % 21.4% 20.1% 23.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.75 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average Unavailable
Applicant Competition High High Low
ACT Range 22/28 21/27
SAT Range 1100/1298 1060/1270
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 15, 2026 Feb 1, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Howard Spelman Morehouse
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (20%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

 Howard Spelman Morehouse
Graduation Rate 63% 77% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $51,300 $48,000
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 47% 34%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279 $279

Diversity

 Howard Spelman Morehouse
% Men 8% 7% 0%
% Women 16% 73% 0%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Extremely Low Extremely Low
HBCU Yes Yes Yes
% White 2% 0% 0%
% Black 91% 96% 95%
% Hispanic 0% 0% 1%
% Native American 1% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2% 0%
% International 5% 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 0% 2%

Students

 Howard Spelman Morehouse
% In-State 1% 21% 25%
% Out-of-State 91% 78% 74%

Campus

 Howard Spelman Morehouse
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No
Daycare Facility No No No
Learn More Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Howard University is larger than than Spelman based on total student enrollment (13,416 students vs. 3,633 students)

Howard vs. Spelman Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or Spelman?

  • Howard University is 22.2% more expensive to attend than Spelman for in-state tuition ($32,878.00 vs. $26,915.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.2% higher at Howard than Spelman College ($32,878.00 vs. $26,915.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Howard University than Spelman ($30,028 vs. $37,403)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Spelman College are 1.1% lower than costs at Howard University ($16,293 vs. $16,474)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Howard University than Spelman College (100% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 78.6% larger than aid received Spelman College ($21,422 vs. $11,994)

Howard vs. Spelman Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Howard or Spelman? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Spelman or Howard .

  • The average SAT score at Howard University (1105) is 90 points higher than at Spelman (1015)
  • Incoming Howard students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Spelman (22)
  • Accepted freshman Spelman students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Howard (3.66)
  • Howard has a higher acceptance rate (34.9%) than Spelman (34.1%)

Howard vs. Spelman Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard or Spelman? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Spelman and Howard.

  • The graduation rate at Spelman is higher than Howard University (77% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Howard University earn on average $500 more per year than Spelman graduates after ten years. ($51,800 vs. $51,300)
  • Spelman College and Howard graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Spelman College and Howard graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More Spelman graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 33%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/