Best Public Colleges in Georgia 2024

Badge for BEST IN GEORGIA PUBLIC COLLEGES

Published: Mar 24, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in Georgia provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.

University of Georgia
Georgia Tech
Georgia State University
Georgia Southern University
Savannah State University
University of West Georgia
Valdosta State University
Albany State University
Fort Valley State University
Georgia College & State University

Middle Georgia State University 100%
College of Coastal Georgia 98%
Georgia Gwinnett College 94%
Gordon State College 93%
Georgia Southern University 89%
Valdosta State University 89%
Columbus State University 88%
Georgia College & State University 80%
University of West Georgia 80%
Georgia Southwestern State University 73%

Georgia State University 26 to 1
College of Coastal Georgia 23 to 1
East Georgia State College 23 to 1
Georgia Southern University 22 to 1
Atlanta Metropolitan State College 22 to 1
Savannah State University 21 to 1
Gordon State College 21 to 1
Dalton State College 20 to 1
Georgia Highlands College 20 to 1
Fort Valley State University 20 to 1

Georgia Tech $10,258
University of Georgia $9,790
Georgia College & State University $7,508
Georgia State University $7,158
Valdosta State University $4,371
Columbus State University $4,371
University of West Georgia $4,371
Georgia Southern University $4,371
Georgia Southwestern State University $4,064
Savannah State University $4,064

Georgia Tech $14,064
University of Georgia $8,878
Georgia State University $7,164
Columbus State University $6,300
Clayton State University $5,513
Georgia College & State University $5,292
Georgia Southern University $4,986
Savannah State University $4,686
Valdosta State University $4,572
Fort Valley State University $4,344

Atlanta Metropolitan State College
Gordon State College
East Georgia State College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
College of Coastal Georgia
Georgia Highlands College
Middle Georgia State University
Clayton State University
Georgia Southwestern State University
Georgia College & State University

Gordon State College
Atlanta Metropolitan State College
East Georgia State College
College of Coastal Georgia
Georgia Highlands College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Georgia Gwinnett College
Dalton State College
Clayton State University
Middle Georgia State University

Georgia Tech 17%
Fort Valley State University 43%
University of Georgia 43%
Clayton State University 56%
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College 67%
Georgia State University 67%
Georgia Southwestern State University 73%
University of West Georgia 80%
Georgia College & State University 80%
Columbus State University 88%

Georgia College & State University 15 to 1
Clayton State University 16 to 1
University of West Georgia 16 to 1
University of Georgia 17 to 1
Georgia Southwestern State University 17 to 1
Valdosta State University 17 to 1
Columbus State University 17 to 1
Georgia Gwinnett College 18 to 1
Middle Georgia State University 18 to 1
Georgia Tech 19 to 1

Georgia Highlands College $2,280
East Georgia State College $2,280
Atlanta Metropolitan State College $2,426
Dalton State College $2,563
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College $2,563
College of Coastal Georgia $2,563
Gordon State College $2,563
Middle Georgia State University $3,144
Georgia Gwinnett College $3,214
Georgia Southwestern State University $4,064

Albany State University $3,438
Georgia Southwestern State University $3,483
Middle Georgia State University $3,582
University of West Georgia $4,338
Fort Valley State University $4,344
Valdosta State University $4,572
Savannah State University $4,686
Georgia Southern University $4,986
Georgia College & State University $5,292
Clayton State University $5,513

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Georgia

The state of Georgia is home to 70 colleges and universities. 38 of these schools are public institutions, each offering a wide variety of traditional and online courses as well as a full range of graduate programs for both on-campus and online students.

The University of Georgia, located in the city of Athens, is the largest college in Georgia, with over 35,000 students. Those attending Georgia State University and Georgia Southern University will enter into a friendly athletics rivalry. Tuition at Georgia State costs $9,000, and at Georgia Southern, $6,000.

Both the University of Georgia and Georgia State University are among the 36 colleges in Georgia offering online degree programs.

In addition, there are numerous fully online colleges in Georgia with accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Of the 20 religiously affiliated colleges and schools in Georgia, Emory University has both the highest tuition at just over $50,000 per year, and the largest private school student population, with over 13,000 in attendance.

Georgia is also home to the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design, which offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in architecture, advertising, art history, and more.

Prospective students looking to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree can choose from an extremely broad range of in-class and online programs.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Both traditional and online students in Georgia can earn degrees in religious studies, business, social work, law, and computer science. Those looking to attend technical colleges can also choose from a handful of brick-and-mortar and online colleges that offer two-year degrees in medicine, nursing, and education.

Part of the University System of Georgia, Atlanta Metropolitan State college is the state’s most affordable college at $3,000. Students at Atlanta Metropolitan can major in fields like mathematics, criminal justice, and philosophy. Most degree programs are available through in-person or online programs.

Georgia is home to the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and the Okefenokee Swamp, which is the largest such water-mass in North America. This diverse landscape in The Peach State provides Georgia’s college and graduate students with a beautiful backdrop for an education. It’s also worth noting that Georgia residents who enroll in fully online programs at public universities or community colleges in Georgia will still receive in-state tuition discounts.

Georgia also offers a loan repayment-based financial aid program for qualifying graduates in the medical field through the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce. Check out the best traditional and online degree programs and top career paths this southern state has to offer.

What are Georgia’s Colleges & Universities?

Georgia’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 22 public universities in Georgia. To be included in our list of the best public colleges in Georgia, shcools must receive direct funding from the state, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degress.

How do we determine Georgia's best public colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Best Public Colleges in Georgia 2023

Build your own college ranknigs

Georgia’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of public colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top public colleges in every state.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Public Colleges in Georgia 2024

10 Best Public Colleges in Georgia

Colleges and Universities in Georgia

What are Georgia’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Public Colleges in Georgia 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Georgia Tech

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Georgia

Most Influential Alumni

University of Georgia’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Georgia State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Georgia Southern University

Most Influential Alumni

Georgia Southern University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Valdosta State University

Most Influential Alumni

Valdosta State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at University of West Georgia

Most Influential Alumni

University of West Georgia’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Savannah State University

Most Influential Alumni

Savannah State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Albany State University

Most Influential Alumni

Albany State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Fort Valley State University

Most Influential Alumni

Fort Valley State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Dalton State College

Dalton State College’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Columbus State University

Most Influential Alumni

Columbus State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Georgia College & State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Georgia Southwestern State University

Most Influential Alumni

Georgia Southwestern State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Clayton State University

Most Influential Alumni

Clayton State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Middle Georgia State University

Most Influential Alumni

Middle Georgia State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations