Georgia’s Best Colleges and Universities of 2021
Here are the best colleges and universities in Georgia. Our list will help you find the right kind of school for you.
Colleges and Universities in Georgia
Georgia has 70 colleges and universities, 38 of which are public institutions. The University of Georgia, located in the city of Athens, is the largest, 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. Of the 20 religiously affiliated schools, Emory University has both the highest tuition, just over $50,000, and student population, with over 13,000 in attendance. Whether you’re looking to earn your associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, Georgia schools offer plenty of options.
What are Georgia’s Colleges & Universities?
- 9 Research Universities
- 37 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 11 Graduate Schools
- 22 Public Colleges & Universities
- 24 Private Colleges & Universities
- 17 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 32 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 23 Affordable Colleges (below national average of $16,000/year)
Georgia’s Best Overall
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
How do we determine Georgia's best colleges and universities?
The best colleges pound for pound!
The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call Concentrated Influence.
Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers (including faculty and alums) and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.
Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, whose influence in absolute terms may be bigger, will nonetheless score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.
Every fall, more than 2 million high-school graduates will enroll in colleges and universities across the United States. Finding the best college for your educational, personal, and professional goals may be challenging. The purpose of this ranking is to help you manage this challenge with an accurate, objective, and up-to-date ranking of the best colleges and universities in Georgia for earning a bachelor’s degree.
We’ve identified a total of 46 colleges and universities in Georgia, 14 of which meet our criteria. The list below of the best schools in the state focuses on those that offer four-year undergraduate degrees, includes both public and private colleges and universities, and also meet the following two conditions:
- It must be fully accredited.
- It must have a graduation rate of greater than 50%.
Best Colleges & Universities in Georgia
- #1Emory University#113 institution's overall influence#41 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$51K
Acceptance
19%
Graduation
91%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1435/32
Atlanta, GAView profile
What is Emory University known for?
Emory University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Religious Studies
- Medical
- Law
- Literature
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Anthropology
- Education
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #2Morehouse College#331 institution's overall influence#1436 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$28K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
50%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1110/22
Atlanta, GAView profile
What is Morehouse College known for?
Morehouse College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Religious Studies
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- History
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Economics
- Chemistry
Most Influential Alumni
- #3Spelman College#441 institution's overall influence#1205 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
39%
Graduation
77%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/24
Atlanta, GAView profile
What is Spelman College known for?
Spelman College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Mathematics
- Literature
- Sociology
- Education
- Computer Science
- History
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Economics
Most Influential Alumni
- #4Georgia Institute of Technology#145 institution's overall influence#39 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
22%
Graduation
86%
Student body
28K
Median SAT/ACT
1465/32
Atlanta, GAView profile
What is Georgia Institute of Technology known for?
Georgia Institute of Technology's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Chemistry
- Communications
- Business
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Biology
Most Influential Alumni
- #5Mercer University#616 institution's overall influence#1052 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$25K
Acceptance
72%
Graduation
66%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1260/27
Macon, GAView profile
What is Mercer University known for?
Mercer University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Law
- Engineering
- Philosophy
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Education
- Economics
- Political Science
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #6University of Georgia#138 institution's overall influence#58 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
49%
Graduation
84%
Student body
37K
Median SAT/ACT
1325/29
Athens, GAView profile
What is University of Georgia known for?
University of Georgia's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Law
- Education
- Medical
- History
- Business
- Chemistry
- Engineering
- Sociology
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #7Agnes Scott College#2562 institution's overall influence#1444 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$41K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
70%
Student body
<1K
Decatur, GAView profile
What is Agnes Scott College known for?
Agnes Scott College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Mathematics
- Economics
- Sociology
- Physics
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Literature
- Religious Studies
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #8Georgia State University#519 institution's overall influence#975 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
53%
Student body
32K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/23
Atlanta, GAView profile
What is Georgia State University known for?
Georgia State University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Business
- Computer Science
- Social Work
- Nursing
- Communications
- Engineering
- Psychology
- Political Science
- Sociology
Most Influential Alumni
- #9Wesleyan College#2327 institution's overall influence#173 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
48%
Graduation
59%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1020/20
Macon, GAView profile
What is Wesleyan College known for?
Wesleyan College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Mathematics
- Religious Studies
- Literature
- Education
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Engineering
- Economics
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #10Berry College#2601 institution's overall influence#1112 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
66%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/26
Mount Berry, GAView profile
What is Berry College known for?
Berry College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Business
- Psychology
- Political Science
- Biology
- Education
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Communications
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #11Georgia College & State University#1266 institution's overall influence#1195 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
59%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1195/25
Milledgeville, GAView profile
What is Georgia College & State University known for?
Georgia College & State University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Philosophy
- Nursing
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Psychology
- History
- Education
- Biology
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #12Covenant College#4139 institution's overall influence#1384 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
67%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1235/26
Lookout Mountain, GAView profile
What is Covenant College known for?
Covenant College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Philosophy
- Literature
- Religious Studies
- Psychology
- History
- Business
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
- #13Andrew College#10183 institution's overall influence#768 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
43%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
930/16
Cuthbert, GAView profile
What is Andrew College known for?
Andrew College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Mathematics
- Communications
- Nursing
- History
- Education
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #14Gordon State College#9134 institution's overall influence#599 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$4K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
50%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
945/17
Barnesville, GAView profile
What is Gordon State College known for?
Gordon State College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Mathematics
- Nursing
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
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