Spelman admissions are at a significant high. Can campus expansions keep up?

Spelman College has received increased attention in recent years for its influx of students choosing to attend the institution, with college decision trends showing a national shift back to HBCUs. In a data release from the 2024-2025 school year, it was shared that 12,023 applications to Spelman were received, 2,990 were accepted and 705 enrolled, with Spelman’s acceptance rate falling to a striking 25%.

With an increase in Spelmanites entering the gates, expansion plans have followed. In the Spring of 2024, former Spelman President Dr. Helene Gayle announced plans to renovate Abby and Morehouse-James residence halls and to build a new 670-bed residence hall to replace Manley and Howard-Harreld halls. These changes are intended to modernize campus living and accommodate the number of incoming students, but with many feeling that the campus is already overcrowded, can these expansions keep up?  

While renovations are pending, students presented numerous concerns experienced during the first month of the 2025-2026 school year. Sophomore Leia Cheatham expressed the difficulties that arose during her time as a resident in Morehouse-James. 

“There are problems that have gotten better since the year first started. We didn't have working bathrooms, the kitchen was closed for weeks and we didn't have the ability to use the stove,” Cheatham said. 

Spelman's website advertises that “Morehouse-James includes amenities such as a laundry facility and a study lounge. The kitchenettes are at the end of each hallway to meet the cooking and food storage needs of each resident.”  Although Spelman renovated these dorms in such a timely manner, the building appears unfinished for students to utilize these facilities.   

“We didn't have working laundry for a while so I went home to do it a couple of times. Even now that it works, there are only three washers and dryers for the whole building. I know girls that just moved back into the dorm after the pipe burst,” Cheatham said. “I hope in the future Spelman doesn't rush housing girls in dorms before they are truly ready to be lived in. Hopefully things will be fixed before the second semester but it doesn't seem likely.”

Space concerns on campus do not end with housing. Madison Miller, a junior Psychology major, commutes to campus each day. She says that even that has come with challenges.  

“Sometimes when I come to school, if you come around maybe 12 or 1 o'clock, you're not going to be in the main parking deck, which is kind of not okay,” she said. “The parking deck is pretty much full by 11:00, and then there's nowhere to park. So then you don't end up parking where you paid like $300 to.”

Given the size of the Class of 2027, approximately 700, space concerns are nothing new. Similar issues took place in Miller’s freshman year, with students facing overpopulation issues in dorms and being unable to receive on-campus housing the following year. But to Miller, the issue is only bound to intensify. 

“I just feel like we're going to end up running into the same issues because it does come down to [the fact that] they keep over-admitting people,” she said. “Over-admitting also comes with a lot of people accepting, so I won't totally put that on them, because they can admit however many people they want, but they can't really control how many students accept. So I think that's also a part of the problem, but I just don't think there's ever going to be enough space for everybody.”

The number of students enrolling at Spelman is incredible. As interest in the institution builds, however, it is evident that there is a need for space to accommodate Spelmanites. As Spelman continues to plan for expansion, there must be a plan of action on how to meet this need.