The Milestone Celebrates Two Decades of Excellence and Spelman’s Continued Leadership Among the Nation’s HBCUs
20 Years at the Top: Spelman College Continues Historic Reign as Nation’s No. 1 HBCU
ATLANTA, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spelman College has been ranked No. 1 among the 2027 Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for the 20th consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report. The milestone extends Spelman’s historic record of being named the nation’s No. 1 HBCU every year since the HBCU rankings began. This year, Spelman also ranked No. 2 on the list of Top Performers in Social Mobility and remains among the top 40 Best National Liberal Arts institutions, moving up three spaces to No. 34.
“Celebrating 20 consecutive years as the nation’s No. 1 HBCU is both a tremendous honor and a meaningful reflection of Spelman College’s enduring excellence and distinction. Behind that metric are the remarkable students, faculty, staff and alumnae who have made this achievement possible,” said Spelman President Dr. Ayanna Howard. “As we look toward the next 20 years, we will continue to raise the bar together, dream boldly and ensure that Spelman women are prepared to thrive, lead, and change the world.”
Spelman College at a Glance – 2027 Best Colleges Rankings:
- No. 1 in Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- No. 2 in Top Performers on Social Mobility
- No. 13 in Learning Communities
- No. 31 in Top Private Colleges – National Liberal Arts Colleges (tied)
- No. 34 in National Liberal Arts Colleges (tied)
- No. 22 in Writing in the Disciplines (tied)
The 2027 edition of the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings evaluates more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success. U.S. News publishes the Best Colleges rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with the comparative merits of the undergraduate programs at America’s colleges and universities. The rankings offer detailed information of the institutions and data on factors such as outcome measures —including graduation rates, graduate indebtedness and post graduate earnings.
“Higher education is an investment in a student’s future, and we’re proud to recognize the institutions that continue to raise the bar for academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for education at U.S. News. “The Best Colleges rankings celebrate schools that demonstrate outstanding commitment to student success, providing prospective families with a roadmap to discover high-performing institutions that align with their specific academic, career and personal goals.”
Prospective students can see how Spelman compares to other institutions and how the rankings are calculated on USNews.com.
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 2,700 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 the U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 34 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 34 for undergraduate teaching, No. 2 for social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 20th year among historically Black colleges and universities. 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 and minors have been added, including documentary filmmaking and photography, data science, refugee studies and gaming. Collaborations have been also established with MIT’s Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the Army Research Lab for artificial intelligence and machine learning, among others.
Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, former Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer, political leader Stacey Abrams, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard University professor and former Dean Evelynn Hammonds, actress and producer Latanya Richardson Jackson, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones.
To learn more, please visit spelman.edu and @spelmancollege on social media.
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, insurance, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.
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- 20 Years at the Top: Spelman College Continues Historic Reign as Nation’s No. 1 HBCU
CONTACT: Brijea Daniel Spelman College [email protected]
