2022 best colleges in Georgia
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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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
