Emory University
Emory University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Emory University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Private Colleges in Georgia
- #1 Best Colleges in Georgia
- #1 Research Universities in Georgia 2026
- #1 Christian Colleges in Georgia
- #1 Grad Schools in Georgia 2026
- #1 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #2 20 Fastest Online Bachelor's of Nursing Degree Programs
- #4 Best Christian Colleges 2026
- #18 Education Research Universities
- #18 Nursing Research Universities
- #21 Business Research Universities
- #21 Communications Research Universities
- #22 Most Influential Colleges in Swimming and Diving Today
- #22 Anthropology Research Universities
- #22 Religious Studies Research Universities
- #24 Biology Research Universities
- #25 Best Research Universities for Psychology Majors
- #25 Best Undergrad Private Colleges
- #27 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs
- #28 Best Private Grad Schools 2026
- #29 Best Undergrad Colleges 2026
- #35 Best Undergrad Research Universities 2026
About Emory University
Emory University is a private, research university originally founded in Oxford, Georgia, in 1836 by the Methodist Episcopal Church as Emory College.
The college was named after the Methodist Episcopal Church bishop, John Emery. In 1915, the school relocated to its current location in Atlanta and assumed its present name.
Today, Emory University comprises about nine academic divisions, including two undergraduate colleges and some seven graduate and professional schools. Among the best known of the latter are the Goizueta Business School and the Candler School of Theology.
Three of the professional schools—the Emory University Medical School, the Neil Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, and the Rollins School of Public Health—are parts of an umbrella administrative entity known as the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC).
One of the WHSC’s most noteworthy constituent units is the world-renowned—Yerkes National Primate Research Center.
Among many prominent Emory-associated individuals, we may note the following:
- Mathematicians, Raman Parimala, Suresh Venapally, Victoria Powers, Vojtěch Rödl & Ken Ono
- Philosophers, Donald Phillip Verene, Ernst von Glasersfeld & Thomas R. Flynn
- Theologian, Timothy P. Jackson
- Poet, Natasha Trethewey
- Novelist, Carl Hiaasen
- Young adult author, Lauren Kate
- Popular musician, Peter Buck
- Physicist, Eric Weeks
- Chemists, Jennifer M. Heemstra, Huw Davies & Shuming Nie
- Microbiologist, Thomas Milton Rivers
- Immunologists, R. Paul Johnson, Thomas P. Gordon, Shu Hongbing & Edward S. Mocarski
- Pharmacologist, Marion Sewer
- Medical imaging researcher, Elizabeth Krupinski
- Primatologist, Robert Yerkes
- Chimpanzee language researcher, Duane Rumbaugh
- Psychologists, Karl Lashley & Drew Westen
- Historians, C. Vann Woodward, David M. Potter & Jeffrey Burton Russell
- Sociologist, Howard Odum
- Anthropologist, Melvin Konner
- Economist, Jacob Mincer
- Legal and international relations scholars, Harold J. Berman & Mary Louise Dudziak
- Japanologist, Susan Pharr
- Korean political thinker and politician, Yun Chi-ho
- Radio journalist, Kai Ryssdal
- TV journalist, David Brinkley
- Coca-Cola Company President, Robert W. Woodruff
- Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso,
- Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Desmond Tutu
- US House of Representatives Speaker, Newt Gingrich
- US Senators Sam Nunn & Zell Miller
- 35th US Vice President (under President Harry Truman), Alben Barkley
- 39th US President, Jimmy Carter
According to Wikipedia, Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. The campus is in Druid Hills, an historic neighborhood that is three miles from Downtown Atlanta.
Emory University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31,929 | 11% | 96% | 91% | 1510 | 33 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Emory University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $68,056 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $10,593 |
| 30K - 48K | $8,932 |
| 48K - 75K | $9,448 |
| 75K - 110K | $13,089 |
| 110K+ | $49,057 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Emory University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Emory University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $93,897 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Emory University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 16,189 | 7,805 | 8,384 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Emory University?
Emory University is located at 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322.
How Safe is Emory University?
Relative to its enrollment, Emory University has a violent crime rate of 0.14% and a property crime rate of 0.32%. Atlanta has a violent crime rate of 0.60% and a property crime rate of 3.55%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Emory University Known For?
Emory University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Religious Studies
- Literature
- Medical
- Nursing
- Anthropology
- Law
- Psychology
- Business
- History
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Education
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Communications
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Engineering
- Physics
Emory University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Emory University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Emory University ranks #16 in the U.S. and #61 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesEmory University ranks #19 in the U.S. and #44 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesEmory University ranks #24 in the U.S. and #49 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesEmory University ranks #24 in the U.S. and #38 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesEmory University ranks #27 in the U.S. and #68 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesEmory University ranks #36 in the U.S. and #118 worldwide for influence in Law.
Emory University ranks #37 in the U.S. and #64 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesEmory University ranks #41 in the U.S. and #94 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesEmory University ranks #41 in the U.S. and #117 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesEmory University ranks #42 in the U.S. and #129 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesEmory University ranks #45 in the U.S. and #142 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesEmory University ranks #46 in the U.S. and #150 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesEmory University ranks #67 in the U.S. and #296 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesEmory University ranks #67 in the U.S. and #194 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesEmory University ranks #69 in the U.S. and #222 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesEmory University ranks #70 in the U.S. and #192 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesEmory University ranks #82 in the U.S. and #308 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesEmory University ranks #93 in the U.S. and #326 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesEmory University ranks #99 in the U.S. and #370 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesEmory University ranks #104 in the U.S. and #416 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesEmory University ranks #140 in the U.S. and #556 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWho Are Emory University's Most Influential Alumni?
Emory University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Medical, and Literature. Here are some of Emory University's most famous alumni:
- Newt Gingrich
- An American politician and author .
- David Brinkley
- An American journalist .
- C. Vann Woodward
- An American historian .
- Jeffrey Burton Russell
- An American historian.
- Carl Hiaasen
- An American novelist.
- Mikhail Epstein
- A Russian-American writer.
- Walter Wink
- An American biblical scholar.
- Timothy Tyson
- An American historian.
- Ernie Harwell
- An American sportscaster.
- Dumas Malone
- An American historian and writer.
- Tressie McMillan Cottom
- An American writer, sociologist, and professor.
- Sam Nunn
- An American lawyer and politician.
Who Are Emory University's Most Influential Faculty?
Emory University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Nursing, Medical, and Literature. Here are some of Emory University's most famous faculty:
- Hao Huang
- A Mathematician and computer scientist.
- Kevin Young
- An American poet.
- Skip Garibaldi
- An American mathematician.
- Kate Jones
- A Chair in Ecology and Biodiversity at University College London and the Zoological Society of London.
- Jay M. Bernhardt
- A Researcher.
- Carl Bergstrom
- A Theoretical and evolutionary biologist.
- Jericho Brown
- An American writer.
- Mahlon DeLong
- An American neurologist.
- James K. Min
- An American physician.
- Vince Calhoun
- An American engineer and neuroscientist.
- Neil B. Shulman
- A Georgian medical writer.
- Ulf Landmesser
- A German specialist for cardiology and internal medicine.
