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.
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.
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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.
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.
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
21%
Graduation
91%
Student body
31K
Median SAT/ACT
1405/31
Georgia Tech’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
19%
Graduation
90%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1445/32
Emory University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
48%
Graduation
87%
Student body
38K
Median SAT/ACT
1330/29
University of Georgia’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
53%
Student body
35K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/23
Georgia State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$39K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
73%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1255/27
Mercer University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
54%
Student body
24K
Median SAT/ACT
1125/22
Georgia Southern University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$24K
Acceptance
59%
Graduation
42%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1010/18
Clark Atlanta University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
40%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1065/21
Valdosta State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
44%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1000/20
University of West Georgia’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
38%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
980/20
Columbus State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
62%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1185/25
Georgia College & State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$28K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
43%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1060/21
Piedmont University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utiulized 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.
