Georgia’s Best Graduate Schools of 2021
Graduate school may be a critical step in your higher education, whether you are interested in expanding your knowledge, learning a specialization, or earning advanced credentials required by your profession. The best graduate schools in Georgia offer advanced degrees, such as master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as opportunities for independent research, mentorships, and professional networking.
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
There are 11 doctorate-granting universities in Georgia, 5 of which meet our criteria. The top 5 graduate schools below are composed of both private and public schools that satisfy the following four conditions:
- It must be a non-profit institution.
- It must be fully accredited.
- It must offer doctoral degrees and a broad array of graduate degrees.
- It must have a graduation rate greater than 50%.
How do we determine Georgia's best graduate schools?
The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. At the undergraduate level, the best colleges and universities are those with the highest concentration of influence. Our Concentrated Influence metric adjusts overall influence by size of undergraduate student body, thus allowing smaller schools to compete with larger schools so long as they have proportionately as strong influential faculty and alums.
But at the graduate level, the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. Overall influence, and not influence controlled by other variables, thus becomes the best gauge of academic excellence at the graduate level. Where smaller size is an advantage at the undergraduate level (hence Concentrated Influence), graduate studies benefit from a large and vibrant community of graduate students, who promise to become the new generation of academic influencers.
5 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
- #2Georgia 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
- #3University 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
- #4Georgia 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
- #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
Georgia Southern University
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
47%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1130/23
View profile
What is Georgia Southern University known for?
Georgia Southern University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Chemistry
- Political Science
- Anthropology
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Nursing
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
University of West Georgia
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
41%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1000/20
View profile
What is University of West Georgia known for?
University of West Georgia's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Psychology
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Nursing
- History
- Education
- Political Science
- Medical
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
Piedmont College
Tuition + fees
$26K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
49%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1075/22
View profile
What is Piedmont College known for?
Piedmont College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Biology
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Mathematics
- History
- Communications
- Medical
- Education
- Engineering
