Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in Georgia provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.
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.
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.
This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 22 public universities in Georgia. To be included in our list of the best public colleges in Georgia, shcools must receive direct funding from the state, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degress.
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
16%
Graduation
92%
Student body
34K
Median SAT/ACT
1450/33
Georgia Tech’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
40%
Graduation
88%
Student body
39K
Median SAT/ACT
1355/31
University of Georgia’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
100%
Graduation
56%
Student body
34K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/23
Georgia State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
54%
Student body
24K
Median SAT/ACT
1081/21
Georgia Southern University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
41%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1065/21
Valdosta State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
42%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
995/19
University of West Georgia’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
46%
Graduation
24%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
912/17
Savannah State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
73%
Graduation
24%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
820/16
Albany State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
72%
Graduation
45%
Student body
3K
Fort Valley State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
27%
Student body
4K
Dalton State College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
43%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
970/20
Columbus State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
21%
Student body
10K
Georgia Gwinnett College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
62%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1172/25
Georgia College & State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
34%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1025/20
Georgia Southwestern State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
35%
Student body
6K
Clayton State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Acceptance
99%
Graduation
22%
Student body
7K
Middle Georgia State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
20%
Student body
4K
Georgia Highlands College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
24%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1000/19
College of Coastal Georgia’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
31%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1000/18
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
13%
Student body
2K
East Georgia State College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
19%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
980/18
Gordon State College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
24%
Student body
1K
Atlanta Metropolitan State College’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 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 public colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top public colleges in every state.