A Complete Guide to Colleges in Georgia

10 Popular Colleges in Georgia

We've compiled a list of schools in Georgia and spotlighted some of the most popular based on factors like enrollment, prestige, selectivity, and affordability.

All school data below comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Tuition and fees are from 2022-2023, while acceptance rates, enrollment statistics, net prices, and number of applicants are from 2021.

• 1. Georgia Institute of Technology

  
  
  • Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $11,764 (in-state) | $32,876 (out-of-state)
  • Acceptance Rate: 16%
  • Total Student Enrollment: 43,859

  Georgia Tech is a prestigious public university in Atlanta, known for its top-ranked computer science and engineering colleges.

  It's also a highly competitive school. With around 44,000 applicants, Georgia Tech has an acceptance rate of just 16%. Of the 2022 class of first-year admitted students, 96% were in the top 20% of their class.

  Since its opening in 1888, the school has developed a rich history with many traditions. One of Georgia Tech's mascots is a 1930 Ford Model A, called the Ramblin' Reck, that leads the football team onto the field every home game.




• 2. Emory University

  
  
  • Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $57,948
  • Acceptance Rate: 13%
  • Total Student Enrollment: 14,779

  A private school in Atlanta, Emory is known for its premier healthcare programs and liberal arts education.

  The university is also highly competitive. In 2021, Emory received 33,435 undergraduate applications — but its total student enrollment is less than half that at 14,779. The school is frequently considered one of the "Southern Ivies" due to its prestige.

  Interestingly, Emory is home to five not-so-secret societies. The university also has a secret mascot who dresses as a skeleton called Dooley.




• 3. University of Georgia

  
  
  • Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $11,180 (in-state) | $30,220 (out-of-state)
  • Acceptance Rate: 40%
  • Total Student Enrollment: 40,118

  UGA is one of the largest colleges in Georgia, with a campus sprawling across 762 acres. It's located in Athens, a historic college town.

  Popular fields of study at UGA include law, biology, agriculture, finance, and psychology. The university's Odum School of Ecology is the only school dedicated to ecology research in the U.S.

  In 2022, UGA awarded over $6 million in scholarships to undergraduates.

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• 4. Spelman College

  
  
  • Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $28,885
  • Acceptance Rate: 51%
  • Total Student Enrollment: 2,417

  A small women's college and HBCU based in Atlanta, Spelman offers popular majors such as psychology, biology, political science, health service, and literature.

  Students here can join one of Spelman's 60 student organizations. The college's culture emphasizes leadership development, social mobility, and community impact. Spelman recently partnered with Spotify for a scholarship program and Spelman campus recording studio.




• 5. Kennesaw State University

  
  
  • Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $5,786 (in-state) | $17,040 (out-of-state)
  • Acceptance Rate: 82%
  • Total Student Enrollment: 42,899

  Based in the Atlanta suburb of Kennesaw, KSU is a top research university, with an impressive R2 Carnegie designation — something only 6% of colleges in the U.S. have ever received.

  Popular majors here include business, computer science, engineering, and psychology. KSU's criminology program is particularly popular among undergraduates. And with four performing arts centers, KSU often attracts students who are passionate about art.




• 6. Georgia State University

  
  
  • Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $8,478 (in-state) | $23,709 (out-of-state)
  • Acceptance Rate: 100%
  • Total Student Enrollment: 36,973

  Georgia State is a large public research university located in Atlanta's bustling downtown. The school has a 100% acceptance rate and is known for its business program.

  Students can choose from over 200 majors. First-year students can opt-in to Georgia State's "freshman learning communities," where they're sorted into a group of 25 students with similar interests. The group then takes the same set of courses for their first semester.




• 7. Savannah College of Art and Design

  
  
  • Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $39,605
  • Acceptance Rate: 81%
  • Total Student Enrollment: 15,636

  A midsized private arts college, SCAD is located in Savannah, a coastal Georgia city known for its antebellum architecture and historical squares.

  The premier art school offers over 100 degrees specific to creative careers, with its most popular majors being animation and video graphics, film and cinematography, illustration, digital media, and fashion. SCAD's art programs aim to help students hone their crafts while forging professional connections.




• 8. Georgia Southern University

  
  
  • Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $6,485 (in-state) | $17,539 (out-of-state)
  • Acceptance Rate: 91%
  • Total Student Enrollment: 27,076

  Georgia Southern is based in Statesboro, a rural Georgia city with little traffic and a low cost of living. The college is well known for its business, biology, nursing, and psychology programs. Georgia Southern is also home to a nationally recognized ROTC program that has won the MacArthur Award four times.

  The main campus houses the Center for Wildlife Education and The Lamar Q. Ball, Jr. Raptor Centre — educational and research facilities that harbor hundreds of birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, including Georgia Southern's bald eagle mascot.




• 9. Clark Atlanta University

  
  
  • Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $24,730
  • Acceptance Rate: 58%
  • Total Student Enrollment: 4,055

  A private HBCU, CAU offers popular majors like business, biology, criminal justice, journalism, and psychology. It's also one of only two private HBCUs to offer doctoral programs in more than five disciplines.

  A whopping 97% of CAU's first-year students receive financial aid, with 86% receiving grants and/or scholarships. The school raises a significant amount of money for scholarships with its annual Jazz Under the Stars concert.




• 10. University of North Georgia

  
  
  • Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $4,995 (in-state) | $15,391 (out-of-state)
  • Acceptance Rate: 81%
  • Total Student Enrollment: 18,972

  UNG is a public university in Dahlonega, set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and near the Chattahoochee National Forest.

  The institution is a designated senior military college — but not all students participate in the military program. For those who enroll as cadets, they'll spend their time at UNG immersed in a full-time Army ROTC program. Even so, they aren't required to serve in the military once they graduate.

List of All Colleges in Georgia

The following table is an exhaustive list of all four-year nonprofit schools in Georgia. You can find information on each school's student enrollment, average net cost, acceptance rate, and number of applicants.

Source: NCES

Frequently Asked Questions About Colleges and Universities in Georgia

What is the No. 1 college in Georgia?

Georgia Tech is both the largest college in Georgia and one of the most prestigious. Over 43,000 students are enrolled at Georgia Tech, and the institution welcomed 44,048 first-year applicants in fall 2021. Georgia Tech currently has a 16% acceptance rate and a 92% graduation rate.

What is the hardest college to get into in Georgia?

Emory has the lowest acceptance rate of all colleges in Georgia. In fall 2021, it boasted a 13% acceptance rate and received 33,435 undergraduate applications. For context, Emory's undergraduate population is just 7,130. It's a fairly small school that attracts a large number of applicants, making its acceptance rate extremely low.

What Ivy League colleges are in Georgia?

There are no traditional Ivy League colleges in Georgia. UGA is sometimes called a "Public Ivy," and Emory has been hailed one of the "New Ivies." Despite there being no official Ivies in the state, you can still choose from many prestigious colleges in Georgia.

Do I qualify for in-state tuition in Georgia?

To qualify for in-state tuition in Georgia, you need to be a state resident for at least one full consecutive year. You will also need documentation that verifies you've lived in Georgia for that amount of time.

Some colleges, like UNG, offer in-state tuition to residents of neighboring states like Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. If this applies to you, ask your school for a Border State Residents Waiver.

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