2022 best colleges in Georgia

Georgia Institute of Technology, one of several leading institutions in the state, ranks as one of the Top 100 universities globally and boasts one of the country’s best engineering programs. Recognized as a “hidden ivy”, Emory University’s academics are on par with ivy league programs and the school is regularly referred to as the “Harvard of the South”. Artsy students will find another hidden gem in the state’s higher education scene – Savannah College of Art and Design. For Georgia residents, the state provides generous scholarships and grants through the HOPE program.

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More Rankings

Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.

Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.

Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.

Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.

Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.

Net cost

Earnings

Payback

Degree premium

Rankings

Ranking methodology

#1 in Georgia

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, Georgia

Admission rate: 22%

Grad rate: 90%

Net cost: $14,739

Payback: 1.0 Years

Earnings: $88,196

Vs. state average: + $46,303

Economic score: 0.49

school_link

#2 in Georgia

Emory University-Oxford College

Oxford, Georgia

Admission rate: 25%

Grad rate: 89%

Net cost: $25,921

Payback: 1.3 Years

Earnings: $72,364

Vs. state average: + $30,471

Economic score: 0.76

school_link

#3 in Georgia

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

Admission rate: 49%

Grad rate: 85%

Net cost: $13,649

Payback: 1.6 Years

Earnings: $59,769

Vs. state average: + $17,876

Economic score: 1.11

school_link

#4 in Georgia

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

Admission rate: 20%

Grad rate: 92%

Net cost: $23,734

Payback: 2.0 Years

Earnings: $72,364

Vs. state average: + $30,471

Economic score: 1.15

school_link

#5 in Georgia

Oglethorpe University

Atlanta, Georgia

Admission rate: 67%

Grad rate: 52%

Net cost: $22,126

Payback: 2.9 Years

Earnings: $55,444

Vs. state average: + $13,551

Economic score: 2.22

school_link

#6 in Georgia

Mercer University

Macon, Georgia

Admission rate: 79%

Grad rate: 62%

Net cost: $21,464

Payback: 3.0 Years

Earnings: $52,841

Vs. state average: + $10,948

Economic score: 2.37

school_link

#7 in Georgia

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia

Admission rate: 84%

Grad rate: 49%

Net cost: $17,221

Payback: 3.1 Years

Earnings: $51,792

Vs. state average: + $9,899

Economic score: 2.52

school_link

#8 in Georgia

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia

Admission rate: 92%

Grad rate: 52%

Net cost: $15,536

Payback: 2.9 Years

Earnings: $47,913

Vs. state average: + $6,020

Economic score: 2.54

school_link

#9 in Georgia

Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Admission rate: 86%

Grad rate: 65%

Net cost: $19,691

Payback: 3.1 Years

Earnings: $50,169

Vs. state average: + $8,276

Economic score: 2.55

school_link

#10 in Georgia

Georgia Southwestern State University

Americus, Georgia

Admission rate: 74%

Grad rate: 45%

Net cost: $11,157

Payback: 2.8 Years

Earnings: $42,086

Vs. state average: + $193

Economic score: 2.76

school_link

#11 in Georgia

Piedmont University

Demorest, Georgia

Admission rate: 71%

Grad rate: 58%

Net cost: $18,950

Payback: 3.4 Years

Earnings: $46,095

Vs. state average: + $4,202

Economic score: 3.08

school_link

#12 in Georgia

Valdosta State University

Valdosta, Georgia

Admission rate: 79%

Grad rate: 45%

Net cost: $13,969

Payback: 3.3 Years

Earnings: $43,218

Vs. state average: + $1,325

Economic score: 3.18

school_link

#13 in Georgia

Georgia State University

Atlanta, Georgia

Admission rate: 83%

Grad rate: 56%

Net cost: $13,953

Payback: 3.3 Years

Earnings: $43,099

Vs. state average: + $1,206

Economic score: 3.26

school_link

#14 in Georgia

University of West Georgia

Carrollton, Georgia

Admission rate: 78%

Grad rate: 48%

Net cost: $16,124

Payback: 3.5 Years

Earnings: $45,011

Vs. state average: + $3,118

Economic score: 3.29

school_link

#15 in Georgia

Agnes Scott College

Decatur, Georgia

Admission rate: 68%

Grad rate: 69%

Net cost: $20,503

Payback: 4.1 Years

Earnings: $48,175

Vs. state average: + $6,282

Economic score: 3.58

school_link

#16 in Georgia

Covenant College

Lookout Mountain, Georgia

Admission rate: 98%

Grad rate: 70%

Net cost: $23,413

Payback: 4.2 Years

Earnings: $46,183

Vs. state average: + $4,290

Economic score: 3.80

school_link

#17 in Georgia

Morehouse College

Atlanta, Georgia

Admission rate: 78%

Grad rate: 51%

Net cost: $31,327

Payback: 4.9 Years

Earnings: $51,483

Vs. state average: + $9,590

Economic score: 3.98

school_link

#18 in Georgia

Wesleyan College

Macon, Georgia

Admission rate: 60%

Grad rate: 58%

Net cost: $11,358

Payback: 3.8 Years

Earnings: $38,065

Vs. state average: - $3,828

Economic score: 4.17

school_link

#19 in Georgia

Shorter University

Rome, Georgia

Admission rate: 71%

Grad rate: 52%

Net cost: $19,495

Payback: 4.3 Years

Earnings: $42,097

Vs. state average: + $204

Economic score: 4.31

school_link

#20 in Georgia

LaGrange College

Lagrange, Georgia

Admission rate: 60%

Grad rate: 50%

Net cost: $20,805

Payback: 4.7 Years

Earnings: $45,428

Vs. state average: + $3,535

Economic score: 4.32

school_link

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