Best Grad Schools in Georgia 2023

Best Grad Schools in Georgia 2023

By James Barham

Published: Mar 24, 2021
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

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.

10 Best Grad Schools in Georgia

University of Georgia

63%

Emory University

63%

59%

Georgia State University

47%

Mercer University

45%

Clark Atlanta University

44%

Georgia Southern University

34%

University of West Georgia

32%

Valdosta State University

30%

Georgia College & State University

23%

Georgia State University

100%

Georgia Southern University

91%

Georgia College & State University

88%

Columbus State University

79%

Valdosta State University

76%

Mercer University

75%

University of West Georgia

70%

Piedmont University

67%

Clark Atlanta University

58%

University of Georgia

40%

Georgia State University

27 to 1

Georgia Southern University

22 to 1

Valdosta State University

20 to 1

19 to 1

Clark Atlanta University

19 to 1

University of West Georgia

19 to 1

University of Georgia

17 to 1

Columbus State University

17 to 1

Georgia College & State University

16 to 1

Mercer University

14 to 1

Emory University

$55,468

Mercer University

$38,746

Piedmont University

$28,340

Clark Atlanta University

$24,012

$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

Emory University

$44,800

Clark Atlanta University

$16,614

Mercer University

$15,244

$14,570

Piedmont University

$10,800

University of Georgia

$8,878

Georgia State University

$7,164

Columbus State University

$6,300

Georgia College & State University

$5,292

Georgia Southern University

$4,986

Piedmont University

15%

Columbus State University

22%

Georgia College & State University

23%

Valdosta State University

30%

University of West Georgia

32%

Georgia Southern University

34%

Clark Atlanta University

44%

Mercer University

45%

Georgia State University

47%

59%

Emory University

13%

16%

University of Georgia

40%

Clark Atlanta University

58%

Piedmont University

67%

University of West Georgia

70%

Mercer University

75%

Valdosta State University

76%

Columbus State University

79%

Georgia College & State University

88%

Emory University

9 to 1

Piedmont University

10 to 1

Mercer University

14 to 1

Georgia College & State University

16 to 1

University of Georgia

17 to 1

Columbus State University

17 to 1

19 to 1

Clark Atlanta University

19 to 1

University of West Georgia

19 to 1

Valdosta State University

20 to 1

Valdosta State University

$4,371

Columbus State University

$4,371

University of West Georgia

$4,371

Georgia Southern University

$4,371

Georgia State University

$7,158

Georgia College & State University

$7,508

University of Georgia

$9,790

$10,258

Clark Atlanta University

$24,012

Piedmont University

$28,340

University of West Georgia

$4,338

Valdosta State University

$4,572

Georgia Southern University

$4,986

Georgia College & State University

$5,292

Columbus State University

$6,300

Georgia State University

$7,164

University of Georgia

$8,878

Piedmont University

$10,800

$14,570

Mercer University

$15,244

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

Georgia's Best Grad Schools Badge — Download Badge

How do we determine Georgia's best grad schools?

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.

There are 12 doctorate-granting graduate schools in Georgia. Our ranking of the best graduate schools in the Georgia is composed of both private and public schools. To be included, schools must be fully accredited non-profit institutions, and must offer doctoral degrees and a broad array of graduate degrees.

Best Grad Schools in Georgia 2022

Build your own college ranking

Georgia’s Best Grad School for Your Area of Interest

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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.