Top 6 Best Colleges in Georgia | 2017 Ranking | Good, Largest, Cheapest, Best Georgia Colleges

Table: Top 6 Best Colleges in Georgia| Above list is sorted alphabetically

Comparing Georgia State Colleges and Private Colleges in Georgia

One of the big decisions a lot of students and their families are required to make when selecting a college or university is whether they’ll go to a public or private institution. This ranking of the best colleges in Georgia covers both Georgia state colleges that are public, as well as private colleges and universities.

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Before deciding on which of these types of colleges in Georgia is right for you, consider the following:

• One of the biggest advantages of choosing public colleges in Georgia is the cost. You’re going to pay possibly tens of thousands of dollars less to attend public colleges in Georgia compared to colleges in GA that are private.

• There tends to be a more diverse student and faculty population at colleges in GA that are public.

• While there are plenty of advantages to public colleges in Georgia,  if you attend private Georgia colleges, you will often have more resources available to you, although it depends significantly on the actual school.

• A lot of private colleges in Georgia give students the opportunity to have more personalized attention from the faculty, since there are fewer students. Students often report feeling like the faculty of their private school wanted them to succeed and do well, and put energy into making that happen.

Ultimately, regardless of the advantages of both public colleges in Georgia and the best Georgia colleges that are private, it’s a personal decision and one that should be based on a consideration of the financial investment, academic interests, and personal preferences.

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Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Colleges in Georgia

Below, please find the detailed review of each of the top Georgia colleges. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these Georgia colleges to score so well in our selection ranking.

Emory University Review

Emory University is a top private research university located in the Druid Hills area of DeKalb County, which is part of the Atlanta metro.

Key Benefits This Is Ranked as One of the Best Georgia Colleges

Among good colleges in Georgia and the largest colleges in Georgia, the following are some specifics as to why Emory is included on this list.

Emory Healthcare

Emory Healthcare is the largest healthcare system in the state of Georgia, and it includes seven major hospitals. These hospitals are Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown. The university operates the Winship Cancer Institute, and it’s the top coordinator of many of the United States’ top research programs.

The International Association of National Public Health Institutes is headquartered at the University, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a national affiliate institution headquartered at the university, as is the American Cancer Society.

These are some of the reasons Emory is an excellent choice among top colleges in Georgia and good colleges in Georgia for students considering undergraduate or graduate studies in research, science, or medicine.

This pick for one of the best colleges in Georgia has a Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education status of R1, which indicates “highest research activity.”

Endowment

Among colleges in Georgia, Emory ranks very well in a variety of ways. One such way is their endowment. It’s ranked number 16 on the list of colleges and universities in the U.S. by funding, and 21^st among universities in the world by the endowment.

Research at Emory is funded primarily by government agencies like the National Institutes of Health, and it’s one of the top academic institutions in the U.S. for R&D.

It was also ranked 20^th in the U.S. News & World Report National University Ranking for 2017.

Academics and Distinctions

Some key academic elements and distinctions of Emory, one of the top colleges in Georgia and the U.S., include:

• Emory is a member of the invitation-only Association of American Universities
• The Carter Center lets students participate in internships and lectures at this center, which was created by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s non-profit
• A bachelor’s degree at Emory ensures a well-rounded education through a set of general education requirements
• Honors Undergraduate study is available, and more than one in five students participate in an honors program during their time at Emory
• Emory has more than 3,800 international students
• More than one in three undergraduates study abroad

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Georgia Institute of Technology Review

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is one of the best public colleges in Georgia and is part of the University System of Georgia.

Key Features of This Selection for One of the Best Georgia Colleges

Primary reasons Georgia Tech is included on this list of top colleges in Georgia and largest colleges in Georgia are detailed below.

U.S. News and World Report Rankings

Georgia Tech ranks well not just among top Georgia colleges, but also among U.S. universities in general.  U.S. News and World Report ranked Georgia Tech #34 on their list of the best National Universities.

They ranked them as #21 on their annual list for Best Colleges for Veterans and #7 on the list of the most innovative schools.

It’s also ranked as #7 in top public schools.

Cost & Aid

Since Georgia Tech is one of the public colleges in Georgia, the cost of tuition makes it among the cheapest colleges in Georgia for in-state students. Additionally, 40% of students at this pick for one of the leading colleges in GA receives some kind of need-based financial aid for their undergraduate studies.

The average need-based scholarship or grant award is nearly $11,000 for students of Georgia Tech, one of the largest colleges in Georgia and a leader among good colleges in Georgia.

Majors and Degrees

Georgia Tech is not just a leader among Georgia state colleges, but also colleges in the U.S. regarding technology and research. Georgia Tech is not just generally recognized as one of the top universities in the country, but their specific programs are also well-ranked. Degrees are offered through the colleges of Design, Computing, Engineering, Sciences, the Scheller College of Business, and the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

As well as excellent and innovative academic programs, this pick for one of the top Georgia colleges also offers ample activities and community service opportunities so students can have a well-rounded, complete education and experience.

Image Source: Georgia Tech

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Georgia Southern University Review

Georgia Southern University is one of the public colleges in Georgia, and it’s one of the largest colleges in Georgia, located in Statesboro.

Key Factors That Led to Our Ranking of This As One of the Best Georgia Colleges

Among colleges in Georgia, the following are specifics of why GSU is ranked as one of the best Georgia colleges.

Academic Opportunities

GSU is one of the largest colleges in Georgia, and it offers 117 academic majors to students, including baccalaureate programs, as well as masters and doctoral programs. It had a fall 2015 enrollment of more than 20,000 diverse students from 49 states and 86 countries.

This pick for one of the top Georgia colleges is classified as a Doctoral and Research University by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

It’s also recognized as a comprehensive university by the University System of Georgia.

Affordability

Along with being one of the largest colleges in Georgia, Georgia Southern is also frequently ranked as one of the most affordable. Among public colleges in Georgia, GSU excels in combining academics and affordable tuition.

The College Affordability Guide ranked it #1 among Affordable Colleges in Georgia, and it was #6 on the list of Most Affordable Online Colleges as ranked by Online U. It was also ranked #10 among Georgia schools where graduates earn the highest starting salaries by SmartAsset.

College of Business

In particular, the College of Business at Georgia Southern tends to rank incredibly well. Some of the recent points of distinction for the GSU College of Business include:

• OnlineU ranked it as the #1 Most Affordable College for Online Economics Degree
• It was ranked as #5 on the list of the Five Best Online Master in Economics Degree Programs by TheBestSchools.org
• It was included in Newsweek’s “Great Business Schools 2015” list
• GradSchoolHub.com named it as one of the Top 30 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Business Administration
• College Affordability Guide named it as having the #17 best MBA program nationwide
• The online MBA program was ranked #18 by U.S. News & World Report for the Best Online MBA Programs list

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Mercer University Review

Mercer University is one of the top private colleges in Georgia, and it’s the oldest private university in the state as well. There are three campuses of Mercer, including the main campus in Macon, a graduate campus in Atlanta, and a School of Medicine campus in Savannah.

Key Factors That Led to Our Ranking of This as One of the Best Georgia Colleges

Among good colleges in Georgia, the following are specifics as to why Mercer is included on this list.

Schools and Colleges

Mercer isn’t one of the largest colleges in Georgia, but this private university still manages to offer an extensive array of academic programs and options. Mercer includes the following schools and colleges:

• Stetson School of Business & Economics
• Tift Colleges of Education
• School of Engineering
• College of Health Professions
• School of Law
• College of Liberal Arts
• School of Medicine
• Townsend School of Music
• Georgia Baptist College of Nursing
• Penfield College
• School of Pharmacy
• McAfee School of Theology

Within these schools, there are 130 fields of study available.

Adult Learning

In addition to traditional programs, Mercer also features undergraduate programs designed for adult learners. The academic programs for adult learners available from this pick for one of the top colleges in Georgia include business, education, human services, informatics, public safety, and more.

These programs are available at campuses and regional academic centers in Macon as well as Atlanta, Savannah, Douglas County, Henry County, and Newnan.

Professional Knowledge

A big point of focus of Mercer that makes it one of the top colleges in Georgia is the fact that all academic programs are based on building the professional knowledge students will need to be successful in careers. This includes undergraduate programs as well as graduate options.

Also, more than 90 percent of the faculty of Mercer have doctorates or the highest attainable degrees in their fields, so students are learning from the best.

Spelman College Review

Spelman College is a four-year liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. This pick for one of the best colleges in Georgia was the fourth historically black female institution of higher learning to receive a collegiate charter.

Key Factors That Led to Our Ranking of This as One of the Best Georgia Colleges

Among good colleges in Georgia, below are details of why Spelman ranks as one of the top Georgia colleges.

Rankings

Based in Atlanta, Spelman is a nationally-ranked liberal arts college by U.S. News and World Report. In fact, along with being one of the best colleges in Georgia, Spelman is #72 on the U.S. News & World Report list of National Liberal Arts Colleges.

Spelman is five minutes outside of downtown Atlanta and is part of the Atlanta University Center Consortium. This is an association of historically black institutions that’s the largest of its kind in the world.

Spelman also ranks as #1 among Historically Black Colleges and Universities by U.S. News and World Report.

Small Student Body

Spelman isn’t one of the largest colleges in Georgia, but it is one of the best Georgia colleges, and a big reason for this is the small student body and selective admissions process that allow for individualized attention throughout a student’s comprehensive liberal arts education.

The student body is made up of only 2,100 students, but they do come from 41 states and 15 countries. Spelman puts a lot of focus on engaging the cultures of the world and promoting positive social change.

Student Life

Spelman is one of the leading Georgia colleges regarding academics, but this institution also has a thriving student life that’s competitive with other top colleges in Georgia. Spelman, one of the top-ranked colleges in GA, has more than 70 student organizations and sororities to enhance life for students. Groups range from leadership programs to dance and performing arts. Spelman also has cross-registration with the Woodruff Library.

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University of Georgia Review

Founded in 1785, the University of Georgia, also called UGA, is one of the public colleges in Georgia that’s also among the largest colleges in Georgia. Among Georgia state colleges, UGA excels in terms of academics, athletics and more.

Key Factors That Led to Our Ranking of This as One of the Good Colleges in Georgia

UGA is one of the cheapest colleges in Georgia and is also one of the nationally-recognized colleges in GA. Below are some of the specific reasons it’s included on this list of top Georiga colleges.

Public Ivy

The University of Georgia, which is in Athens, is not only one of the good colleges in Georgia but is one of the top universities in the country. This pick for one of the largest colleges in Georgia and top Georgia colleges is on the list of Public Ivy Schools in the U.S.

A Public Ivy is a public college or university that attracts the best and brightest students while providing an education at a cost that’s much lower than an Ivy League.

Rankings

Along with being considered a Public Ivy, and one of the good colleges in Georgia, UGA also has the following rankings for 2017 from U.S. News & World Report:

• #56 in National Universities
• #32 in Best Colleges for Veterans
• #18 in Top Public Schools
• #3 in Insurance Business Programs
• #4 in Business Real Estate Programs
• #135 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs

Campus, Programs, and Schools

As one of the largest colleges in Georgia and one of the best colleges in Georgia, UGA offers more than 140 degree programs. The campus includes 13 libraries, and the UGA Libraries rank among the best and largest research libraries in the country. The University of Georgia is one of 126 member institutions of the Association of Research Libraries.

The University is divided into 17 schools and colleges, and there are three primary campuses, the primary of which is in Athens. There are also satellite campuses in Atlanta and Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Image Source: UGA

Conclusion—Top 6 Best Colleges in Georgia

The colleges in Georgia are as diverse and distinctive as the state itself. There are quite a few colleges in GA, many of which are public colleges in Georgia. There are also excellent private Georgia colleges.

Each of the names on this ranking of good colleges in Georgia excels in terms of national rankings, as well as for their academics and student life.

This ranking of the best Georgia colleges also highlights public schools which are among the cheapest colleges in Georgia, as well as private schools with excellent financial aid opportunities.

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