Top Georgia Colleges

Learn about 12 of the Top Colleges and Universities in Georgia

Top Ranked National Colleges: Universities | Public Universities | Liberal Arts Colleges | Engineering | Business | Women's | Most Selective

Georgia has some excellent options for higher education ranging from giant public research universities to tiny liberal arts colleges. The top Georgia colleges can be found throughout the state, from urban Atlanta to rural towns. The 12 top Georgia colleges listed below vary so much in size and mission that I have listed them alphabetically rather than force them into any sort of artificial ranking.

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Agnes Scott College

Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College. James Diedrick / Flickr

Berry College

Berry College
Berry College. Matthew Weitzel / Flickr
  • Location: Rome, Georgia
  • Enrollment: 2,174 (2,073 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
  • Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 26,000-acre campus (largest in the world); excellent options for outdoor activities; dual-degree programs with Georgia Tech and Emory; top-rated work experience program; excellent grant aid
  • For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Berry College profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Berry admissions

Covenant College

Covenant College
Covenant College. ralpe / Flickr
  • Location: Lookout Mountain, Georgia
  • Enrollment: 1,058 (1,005 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church
  • Distinctions: stunning mountain top location; Christ-centered mission and college identity; nearly all students receive grant aid
  • For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Covenant College profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Covenant admissions

Emory University

Emory University Tower
Emory University Tower. Nrbelex / Flickr
  • Location: Atlanta, Georgia
  • Enrollment: 14,067 (6,861 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private research university
  • Distinctions: member of the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; highly selective admissions; among the country's best universities; 8 to 1 student / faculty ratio
  • For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Emory University profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Emory admissions

Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)

Georgia Tech Football Stadium
Georgia Tech Football Stadium. brian.chu / Flickr

Mercer University

Mercer University
Mercer University. Slyseek / Wikimedia Commons

Morehouse College

Morehouse College
Morehouse College. Toricr8zy / Wikimedia Commons
  • Location: Atlanta, Georgia
  • Enrollment: 2,108 (all undergraduate)
  • Type of Institution: private all-male historically Black liberal arts college
  • Distinctions: rich history with alums such as Martin Luther King Jr., Maynard Jackson and Spike Lee; curricular emphasis on leadership and volunteerism; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences
  • For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Morehouse College profile

Oglethorpe University

Oglethorpe University
Oglethorpe University. Mark DeLong / Wikimedia
  • Location: Atlanta, Georgia
  • Enrollment: 1,184 (all undergraduate)
  • Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
  • Distinctions: historic campus; home of the Georgia Shakespeare theatre company; options for self-designed and interdisciplinary majors; nearly all students receive grant aid
  • For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Oglethorpe University profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Oglethorpe admissions

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah College of Art and Design. andresmh / Flickr
  • Location: Savannah, Georgia
  • Enrollment: 12,364 (10,005 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private art school
  • Distinctions: campus includes many historic buildings in Savannah; other campuses in Atlanta, France and Hong Kong; highly ranked art school with a curriculum grounded in both the liberal arts and fine arts; the majority of students receive grant aid
  • For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Savannah College of Art and Design Admissions Statistics.

Spelman College

Spelman College
Spelman College. waynetaylor / Flickr
  • Location: Atlanta, Georgia
  • Enrollment: 2,125 (all undergraduate)
  • Type of Institution: private all-female historically Black liberal arts college
  • Distinctions: 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; highly ranked school for promoting social mobility; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences
  • For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Spelman College profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Spelman admissions

University of Georgia

University of Georgia
University of Georgia. hyku / Flickr
  • Location: Athens, Georgia
  • Enrollment: 36,574 (27,951 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: public research university
  • Distinctions: rich history dating back to 1785; appealing college town location; well-respected Honors Program for high achieving students; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences
  • For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Georgia profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for UGA admissions

Wesleyan College

Wesleyan College
Wesleyan College. doll damned / Flickr
  • Location: Macon, Georgia
  • Enrollment: 676 (630 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private liberal arts college for women
  • Distinctions: 8 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 20; oldest alumae association in the U.S.; first college in U.S. chartered to grant degrees to women; ranked a "best value" by Princeton Review (all students receive significant grant aid)
  • For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Wesleyan College profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Wesleyan College admissions

30 Top Colleges and Universities in the Southeast

Tree-Lined Walk at the University of Florida
Tree-Lined Walk at the University of Florida. Photo Credit: Allen Grove

Be sure to check out surrounding states during your college search: 30 Top Colleges and Universities in the Southeastern United States.

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Grove, Allen. "Top Georgia Colleges." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/top-georgia-colleges-788307. Grove, Allen. (2023, April 5). Top Georgia Colleges. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/top-georgia-colleges-788307 Grove, Allen. "Top Georgia Colleges." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/top-georgia-colleges-788307 (accessed March 28, 2024).