Best Private Colleges in Georgia 2023

Published: Mar 24, 2021
Updated: Sep 8, 2023

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Georgia.

Brenau University 89%
Covenant College 89%
Oglethorpe University 81%
Shorter University 81%
Brewton–Parker College 80%
Emmanuel University 78%
Mercer University 75%
LaGrange College 75%
Young Harris College 75%
Reinhardt University 70%

Clark Atlanta University 19 to 1
Oglethorpe University 18 to 1
Truett McConnell University 17 to 1
Brewton–Parker College 16 to 1
Toccoa Falls College 16 to 1
Emmanuel University 15 to 1
Shorter University 15 to 1
Morehouse College 15 to 1
Mercer University 14 to 1
Reinhardt University 13 to 1

Emory University $55,468
Agnes Scott College $44,250
Oglethorpe University $42,754
Mercer University $38,746
Berry College $38,656
Covenant College $37,770
LaGrange College $32,840
Brenau University $32,530
Young Harris College $29,962
Morehouse College $29,468

Emory University $44,800
LaGrange College $21,430
Agnes Scott College $17,100
Covenant College $16,728
Clark Atlanta University $16,614
Point University $16,200
Mercer University $15,244
Brenau University $13,590
Thomas University $13,050
Shorter University $12,600

Emmanuel University
Thomas University
Brewton–Parker College
Truett McConnell University
Piedmont University
Point University
Reinhardt University
Andrew College
Toccoa Falls College
Shorter University

Emory University 13%
Thomas University 29%
Point University 47%
Andrew College 51%
Spelman College 51%
Paine College 52%
Clark Atlanta University 58%
Toccoa Falls College 62%
Wesleyan College 62%
Morehouse College 65%

Paine College 5 to 1
Andrew College 8 to 1
Wesleyan College 8 to 1
Emory University 9 to 1
LaGrange College 10 to 1
Piedmont University 10 to 1
Young Harris College 11 to 1
Agnes Scott College 11 to 1
Brenau University 11 to 1
Spelman College 11 to 1

Thomas University $11,080
Paine College $14,596
Andrew College $18,214
Brewton–Parker College $19,220
Toccoa Falls College $21,490
Emmanuel University $21,636
Point University $21,850
Shorter University $22,810
Truett McConnell University $22,852
Clark Atlanta University $24,012

Truett McConnell University $6,912
Young Harris College $9,000
Reinhardt University $9,756
Piedmont University $10,800
Wesleyan College $11,531
Toccoa Falls College $12,240
Berry College $12,420
Shorter University $12,600
Thomas University $13,050
Brenau University $13,590

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.

How do we determine Georgia's best private 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.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 24 private universities in Georgia. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Georgia, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.

Best Private Colleges in Georgia 2022

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Georgia’s Best Private Colleges in Your Area 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 private colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top private schools in every state.

Best Private Colleges in Georgia 2023

10 Best Private Colleges in Georgia

Colleges and Universities in Georgia

What are Georgia’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Private Colleges in Georgia 2022

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Mercer University’s Online Degrees

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Wesleyan College’s Online Degrees

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Brenau University’s Online Degrees

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Paine College’s Online Degrees

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LaGrange College’s Online Degrees

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Shorter University’s Online Degrees

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Andrew College’s Online Degrees

Toccoa Falls College’s Online Degrees

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Point University’s Online Degrees

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Reinhardt University’s Online Degrees

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Truett McConnell University’s Online Degrees

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Thomas University’s Online Degrees

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Brewton–Parker College’s Online Degrees

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Georgia’s Best Private Colleges in Your Area Interest