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U.S. News #62 Private nonprofit, 4-year

Agnes Scott College

Decatur, Georgia · www.agnesscott.edu

中文

U.S. News Liberal Arts 2027

#62

Up 5 from 2026

Acceptance rate

62.2%

2025

Peer median 54.3%

Tuition per year

$50,604

$64,209 with room and board

Peer median $58,090

Undergraduates

843

Student-faculty ratio 10:1

Peer median 10 : 1

Graduation rate

69.5%

4-year; 6-year rate 76.8%

Peer median 75.2%

“Peers” are the 30 closest-ranked private liberal arts colleges, the same comparison used in this page's data notes.

About

Agnes Scott College is an independent, non-profit, four-year liberal arts institution situated in Decatur, Georgia, a community located just east of Atlanta. Founded with ties to the Presbyterian Church (USA), the institution maintains a women's undergraduate college alongside a coeducational graduate division. The college emphasizes foundational liberal arts education, undergraduate inquiry, and professional preparation. In the 2027 U.S. News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking, Agnes Scott placed 62nd nationwide. With its suburban campus setting adjacent to a major metropolitan center, the college provides students with an intimate learning environment while offering direct access to the cultural, governmental, and healthcare networks of the Atlanta region.

Agnes Scott College provides a small liberal arts setting with published tuition that sits below most of its competitors, accompanied by moderate degree completion outcomes. For 2025, undergraduate tuition was $50,604, which is higher than 13% of peer schools among 30 similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. The college maintains small class settings, with educational spending focused primarily on direct instruction. Completion figures show steady long-term attainment, though a meaningful gap separates on-time graduation from extended timelines. In 2025, the four-year graduation rate was 69.5%, while the six-year graduation rate reached 76.8%. The college's first-year retention rate also remains lower than most peer benchmarks. For families weighing tuition against educational value, Agnes Scott presents a lower list price than many comparable private institutions, though prospective students should consider the commitment required to finish a degree on time.

This collegeRanked colleges nearby

Setting
Suburb of a large city
Nearest major city
Atlanta, about 7 mi
Nearest international airport
Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), about 10 mi
Decatur, Georgia
Academic calendar
Semester
Religious affiliation
Presbyterian Church (USA)
President
Leocadia I. Zak (President)
Phone
4044716000
City
Decatur, Georgia
Address
141 E. College Ave., Decatur, GA 30030-3770

Rankings & Admission

Acceptance rate (%)

Peer median 54.3% · the 30 closest-ranked private liberal arts colleges

U.S. News Liberal Arts Colleges · last 10 years
#48 #54 #60 #66 2019: #51 #51 2020: #58 2021: #61 2022: #66 2023: #63 2024: #63 2025: #63 2026: #67 #67 2027: #62 #62 20192027

Best #51, lowest #67, latest #62 over the last ten years.

Data insights

Agnes Scott College presents a moderately accessible admissions landscape within the national liberal arts sector. In the 2027 U.S. News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking, the institution placed 62nd, recovering slightly after touching 67th in 2026. For the entering undergraduate class of 2025, the female acceptance rate stood at 62.2%. In a comparison against 30 similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges, this admission rate is higher than 69% of peer schools. However, drawing admitted applicants to campus remains challenging; the college recorded a yield rate of 16.2% in 2025, reflecting that only about one in six admitted students elected to matriculate. For prospective applicants, these figures show that while an offer of admission is comparatively attainable, the college must compete vigorously to persuade accepted students to enroll.

Test Scores

2025 admitted students, 25th–75th percentile · 27% submitted SAT, 17% submitted ACT · SAT/ACT optional: considered if submitted

SAT total1160–1330Peer median 1350
ACT composite25–31
SAT Reading
620–695
600700800
SAT Math
540–635
600700800
ACT composite
25–31
253036

Data insights

Agnes Scott College's admission test policy is optional, with scores considered if submitted. In 2025, roughly a quarter of enrolled students submitted SAT scores, while a smaller percentage submitted ACT scores. For score ranges in 2025, enrolled students recorded a middle ACT composite range of 25 to 31. The school's median SAT score was 1240, which was higher than 11% of peer schools in a comparison group of private liberal arts colleges with similar rankings. High school grades serve as a critical metric for applicants: during the 2023-2024 academic year, roughly a third of entering students held a perfect grade point average, and more than three-quarters had marks at the higher end of the scale. These outcomes show that competitive candidates generally present sustained classroom achievement in high school, while standardized test results function as a supplemental credential rather than a baseline requirement.

How Hard Is It to Get In

about 6 in 10

2,090 applicants in 2025, 62.2% admitted

1,299 admitted 791 not admitted Yield 16.2%

Degrees & Majors

Graduates in 2025 (first major)

Bachelor's2153 international (1.4%)
Master's692 international (2.9%)
Top 10 Bachelor's majors by graduates
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other
33
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
18
Business Administration and Management, General
17
English Language and Literature, General
15
Creative Writing
15
Public Health, General
13
History, General
11
Neuroscience
11
Social Sciences, Other
10
Political Science and Government, General
10

U.S. studentsInternational

Popular graduate programs

  • Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies · Master's34 (6% international)
  • Mental Health Counseling/Counselor · Master's20 (0% international)
  • Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia · Master's9 (0% international)
  • Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods · Master's4 (0% international)
  • Organizational Leadership · Master's2 (0% international)

Data insights

Conferrals at Agnes Scott College are balanced across the social sciences, life sciences, and traditional liberal arts. In 2025, the college conferred 215 bachelor's degrees, with the top three fields representing 31.6% of all undergraduate completions. The largest undergraduate program was research and experimental psychology with 33 graduates, followed by biology, general business administration, and creative writing. At the graduate level, the college conferred 69 master's degrees, led by pre-medicine and pre-medical studies and mental health counseling. Early career compensation varies moderately across academic departments: according to 2023 figures, business administration graduates posted median earnings of $39,309 one year after graduation, while psychology graduates reported $32,067. These patterns demonstrate steady engagement in health and social science tracks without heavy concentration in a single discipline.

All majors, graduates and earnings IPEDS · College Scorecard

*Depends on whether majors have graduates in 2025 or not, Yes / No
**Move mouse on can check deitaled graudates number, click for major detailed information
***Due to privacy policy, graduate salaries are not shown for some majors that has few gradautes

Health professionshas 67 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies.-
Mental Health Counseling/Counselor.-
Public Health, General.-
Social sciencehas 37 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods.-
Economics, General.-
International Relations and Affairs.-
Political Science and Government, General.-
Social Sciences, Other.$27,723
Psychology has 33 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other.-
Biologyhas 32 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Biology/Biological Sciences, General.-
Biochemistry.-
Neuroscience.-
English has 30 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
English Language and Literature, General.-
Creative Writing.-
Businesshas 19 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Business Administration and Management, General.$39,309
Organizational Leadership.$39,309
Physical scienceshas 13 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Astrophysics.-
Chemistry, General.-
Physics, General.-
History has 11 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
History, General.-
Communication has 9 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia.$45,819
Multi/inerdisciplinary studies has 9 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.-
Visual and Performing artshas 8 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Dance, General.-
Fine/Studio Arts, General.-
Art History, Criticism and Conservation.-
Mathmatics and statistics has 7 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Mathematics, General.-
Mathematics, Other.-
Philosophy has 5 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
Philosophy.-
Religion/Religious Studies.-
Cultural has 3 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
African Studies.-
Women's Studies.-
Foreign languages has 3 graduates in 2025
MajorGraduate SalaryUnderMaster
French Language and Literature.-
Spanish Language and Literature.-
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General.-

Students

1,079 students in 2025 · Undergraduate men to women 0:100 · Freshman retention 81.3%

Undergraduate race and ethnicity (843)

White
337 · 40.0%
Black
267 · 31.7%
Hispanic
115 · 13.6%
Two or more races
52 · 6.2%
Asian
33 · 3.9%
International
23 · 2.7%
Unknown
13 · 1.5%

Age distribution

Bachelor's

Under 18
1.1%
18–19
38.6%
20–21
47.1%
22–24
12.7%
25 and over
0.4%

Graduate students

Under 22
1.7%
22–24
37.7%
25–29
34.3%
30–34
9.3%
35 and over
16.5%

Data insights

Agnes Scott College enrolls an intimate, entirely female undergraduate community alongside a small graduate division. The student body is characterized by substantial domestic diversity, with Black and White students comprising the largest groups on campus. In contrast, Asian and international students represent relatively small segments of the campus community. In 2025, the entering undergraduate cohort included 5 Asian students, making up 2.4% of the class, while international students numbered 2, representing 1%. Continuing undergraduate classes and graduate programs show similar patterns, with Asian and international scholars comprising single-digit percentages in each division. The graduate student body also reflects a heavily domestic profile, where women continue to represent the overwhelming majority. For families evaluating the campus environment, the student body offers an empowering small-college setting, though applicants seeking large international or Asian peer groups should recognize that these populations remain comparatively modest.

The age structure at Agnes Scott College shows a distinct divide between undergraduate and graduate divisions. In 2025, the undergraduate body of 841 students was concentrated heavily in traditional collegiate age bands. Students aged 20 to 21 made up 47.2% of all undergraduates, while those aged 18 to 19 accounted for 38.6%. This compact clustering means the undergraduate campus environment revolves largely around early-adulthood students navigating their college years together. Conversely, the 235 graduate students are older, with the majority falling between ages 22 and 29 as they pursue post-baccalaureate training.

International Students

International share over the last 10 years · gray line: median of the 30 closest-ranked private liberal arts colleges

Undergraduates2.7%

23 in 2025 · 8.9% in 2016

0% 7.5% 15% 2016: 8.9%2017: 10.6%2018: 8.1%2019: 7.2%2020: 7.0%2021: 3.3%2022: 3.0%2023: 3.5%2024: 3.0%2025: 2.7%
2016Peer median 6.5%2025
Graduate students0.8%

2 in 2025 · 0.0% in 2019

0% 5% 10% 2019: 0.0%2020: 0.0%2021: 1.5%2022: 8.7%2023: 3.7%2024: 0.6%2025: 0.8%
2019Peer median 0.8%2025

Data insights

International enrollment at Agnes Scott College is very small and has contracted significantly at the undergraduate level over the past decade. In 2025, international students made up 2.7% of the undergraduate student body, placing the college higher than 13% of peer schools among 30 similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. At the graduate level, international enrollment has remained minimal, representing 0.8% of graduate students in 2025. This small footprint is directly visible in graduating classes. International graduates earned only a modest share of credentials at both levels in 2025. At the undergraduate level, international degree recipients were concentrated in Research and Experimental Psychology, Other. In master's programs, international students were concentrated in Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies, where they accounted for 5.9% of degree recipients. Prospective international applicants should understand that they will be joining a very small global cohort spread across just a few academic disciplines.

Cost

2025 cost per year

$64,209

Undergraduate tuition
$50,604
Room and board
$13,605
Graduate tuition
$19,550
Tuition and room and board over time

Peer median tuition + room and board $72,808 · the 30 closest-ranked private liberal arts colleges

Tuition rose 36% from 2016 to 2025; room and board rose 22%.

Finances · fiscal year 2024

Revenue$64.6M

Investment return
$24.9M38.6%
Tuition and fees
$19.9M30.8%
Auxiliary enterprises
$11.7M18.1%
Gifts and private grants
$6.0M9.3%
Government grants and contracts
$244K0.4%
Other
$1.8M2.8%

Expenses$63.9M

Instruction
$22.9M35.9%
Auxiliary enterprises
$13.4M21.0%
Academic support
$9.8M15.4%
Student services
$9.2M14.5%
Institutional support
$8.5M13.3%

Average faculty salary · 2025 (9-month equivalent)

Dark gray ticks: median pay for the same rank at the 30 closest-ranked private liberal arts colleges

All faculty
$86,437peers $86,342
Professor
$105,740peers $105,387
Associate professor
$88,234peers $86,197
Assistant professor
$73,889peers $72,055
Instructor
$63,752peers $64,296

Campus Life

Athletics and varsity athletes NCAA

No athlete data available for 2025.

No athlete data available for 2024.

No athlete data available for 2023.

Nearby & Safety

Ranked colleges nearby

Data insights

Families exploring Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, will find several prominent institutions nearby across the greater Atlanta area. Located just 2.3 kilometers away is Emory University, a leading private national university ranked 23rd in the 2027 rankings. A short distance farther into downtown Atlanta, Georgia State University sits 5.4 kilometers away and holds a rank of 191 among national universities. Nearby in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus is located 5.7 kilometers from campus, holding a national university ranking of 29th. For applicants specifically seeking another historically women's liberal arts institution in the region, Spelman College is located 6.9 kilometers away and ranks 34th among national liberal arts colleges. These neighboring schools offer families a diverse mix of major research institutions and dedicated liberal arts colleges within immediate driving distance.

Campus safety · incidents per 1,000 students

Peer median 14.0 · the 30 closest-ranked private liberal arts colleges

Incidents, 2023–2025

Drug referrals
6
Rape
4
Burglary
4
Motor vehicle theft
4
Liquor referrals
4
Dating violence
4

From the Clery Act campus safety reports schools file, covering on-campus, non-campus and public property.

Data insights

Campus safety at Agnes Scott College reflects moderate activity that has shown improvement over the past decade. The crime rate per 1,000 students fell to 8.9 in 2025, down from 14.2 in 2016. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, incident reports were dominated by disciplinary referrals alongside isolated property and interpersonal offenses. Drug disciplinary referrals formed the largest single category, totaling 6 incidents over those three years. Alcohol disciplinary referrals, rape, motor vehicle theft, dating violence, and burglary each recorded 4 incidents during the same span. Overall volumes remain relatively low on campus, with no category exceeding single digits across the multi-year tracking period. For families evaluating campus security, these figures suggest that serious safety incidents occur infrequently on campus, though prospective students should maintain standard personal safety awareness in an urban-adjacent environment.

Notable Alumni

Notable alumni of Agnes Scott College include Joanna Moore (Film and television actress), Jennifer Nettles (Singer, lead vocalist of Sugarland) and Katherine Harris (Former Florida Secretary of State and U.S. Representative).

More alumni (14, by field)

Politics and law

Science and academia

Arts and media

  • Michelle Malone

    Singer-songwriter and guitarist

  • Sophie Gimbel 1898–1981

    Fashion designer for Saks Fifth Avenue

  • Jordan Casteel 1989–

    Figurative painter

    Bachelor of Arts

    Also attended: Yale University

  • Kimberly Belle 1968–

    Bestselling thriller novelist

  • Chesya Burke

    Author and editor of horror and dark fantasy

    Also attended: University of Florida, Georgia State University

  • Nan Bagby Stephens 1883–1946

    Playwright, composer and librettist

From Wikidata “educated at” records (including people who attended without graduating), ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions. Degrees and years follow Wikidata and are left out where it has none.

References and Data Sources

Data from IPEDS (U.S. Department of Education), U.S. News, THE, QS, ARWU and Clery Act campus safety reports. Data insights are written by the Forward Pathway data team from public data.