10 Best Colleges in Georgia
What’s Covered:
From world-class cities like Atlanta to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic coastline, there are a lot of reasons why students are attracted to the state of Georgia. Another appealing aspect of Georgia: its historic and highly ranked colleges and universities. The state is home to some of the nation’s oldest and most well-regarded public universities, prestigious HBCUs, and leading women’s colleges.
Our Ranking Methodology
Our list of the 10 best colleges in Georgia was constructed with a focus on school quality, outcomes, and return on investment. It also considers a host of other factors such as retention rate, selectivity, endowment per student, student-faculty ratio, median earnings, and cost of attendance. You can find CollegeVine’s rankings in their entirety here.
10 Best Colleges in Georgia
1. Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Tech
Location: Atlanta, GA
Acceptance Rate: 21%
Middle 50% SAT: 1380-1520
Middle 50% ACT: 31-35
Undergrad Enrollment: 16,561
One of the best public universities in the nation, Georgia Tech began as an all-male institution and didn’t admit female students until 1952. Georgia Tech’s historic campus is located in the heart of Atlanta—it was the site of the surrender of Atlanta during the Civil War, and served as the athlete village for the Atlanta Summer Olympics in 1996. Not content to live in the past, Georgia Tech removed 95% of its library books to an off-campus location, in a reimagining of the role of a modern research library.
Learn more about Georgia Tech and what it takes to get accepted.
2. University of Georgia
Location: Athens, GA
Acceptance Rate: 29,765
Middle 50% SAT: 1220-1390
Middle 50% ACT: 27-32
Undergrad Enrollment: 29,765
One of CollegeVine’s top-ranked public schools, the University of Georgia is also one of the oldest public schools in the nation (only the University of North Carolina and the College of William and Mary are older). The University of Georgia’s mascot, a bulldog named Uga, is one of the most recognizable collegiate sports, however, UGA’s first mascot was a goat.
Learn more about the University of Georgia and what it takes to get accepted.
3. Spelman College
Location: Atlanta, GA
Acceptance Rate: 52%
Middle 50% SAT: 1060-1190
Middle 50% ACT: 20-25
Undergrad Enrollment: 2,207
Spelman is one of the best historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the nation. Spelman has the distinction of being the oldest HBCU for women and just one of two in the U.S. (the other being Bennett College). Spelman is a member of the Atlanta University Center Consortium—along with Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College—which is the world’s largest consortia of African-American private institutions of higher education.
Learn more about Spelman College and what it takes to get accepted.
4. Berry College
Location: Mount Berry, GA
Acceptance Rate: 71%
Middle 50% SAT: 1090-1320
Middle 50% ACT: 24-30
Undergrad Enrollment: 2,006
Berry College has the honor of possessing the world’s largest campus, a staggering 27,000 acres nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains featuring 88 miles of hiking trails. In addition to its expansive and beautiful campus, Berry College takes particular pride in its pre-professional programs:
- 79% of pre-vet students accepted to veterinary school
- 96% of pre-law students accepted to law school
- 98% of pre-med students accepted to medical school
Learn more about Berry College and what it takes to get accepted.
5. Mercer University
Location: Macon, GA
Acceptance Rate: 78%
Middle 50% SAT: 1180-1340
Middle 50% ACT: 25-31
Undergrad Enrollment: 4,911
Mercer University is a Baptist-affiliated college and commonly tops the list of most conservative colleges in the country. Mercer University’s campus is alcohol-free and students living on campus are only allowed overnight guests of the same gender. Mercer believes students should put what they learn in the classroom to practice—consequently, more than 70% of undergraduates participate in at least one internship.
Learn more about Mercer University and what it takes to get accepted.
6. Kennesaw State University | KSU
Location: Kennesaw, GA
Acceptance Rate: 83%
Middle 50% SAT: 1030-1200
Middle 50% ACT: 19-25
Undergrad Enrollment: 37,390
Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and is the third-largest university in the state. Located about 30 minutes outside Atlanta, KSU is home to a diverse and vibrant campus—it ranks among the nation’s top colleges and universities for conferring degrees to minority students and is home to more than 300 student organizations. Kennesaw students are known for their engagement with the community.
Learn more about Kennesaw State University and what it takes to get accepted.
7. Agnes Scott College
Location: Decatur, GA
Acceptance Rate: 67%
Middle 50% SAT: 1100-1310
Middle 50% ACT: 23-29
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,014
Agnes Scott College is a small, private, women’s liberal arts college founded in 1889. The honor code is a cornerstone of an Agnes Scott experience—it requires students to accept responsibility for themselves and their fellow students. Agnes Scott College is a member of the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education, which allows students to cross-register for courses not offered at their home schools at other member institutions.
Learn more about Agnes Scott College and what it takes to get accepted.
8. Georgia State University
Location: Atlanta, GA
Acceptance Rate: 66%
Middle 50% SAT: 970-1150
Middle 50% ACT: 20-26
Undergrad Enrollment: 28,772
Georgia State University is the only urban research university in Georgia, and is home to 84 research centers. Georgia State University is a leader in diversity. It’s the 15th most diverse college in the nation, with a minority enrollment of 46%, and confers more undergraduate degrees to African-American students than any other college in the country.
Learn more about Georgia State University and what it takes to get accepted.
9. Morehouse College
Location: Atlanta, GA
Acceptance Rate: 57%
Middle 50% SAT: 1010-1210
Middle 50% ACT: 20-25
Undergrad Enrollment: 2,206
Morehouse College is one of the nation’s best HBCUs, as well as the only all-men’s HBCU. The Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection—MLK was a Morehouse alumnus—contains 10,000 items including hundreds of King’s handwritten notes, speeches, manuscripts, sermons, and other writings. Morehouse recently made news when billionaire Robert Smith ended his 2019 commencement speech at Morehouse by announcing he would pay the student debt of the entire graduating class.
Learn more about Morehouse College and what it takes to get accepted.
10. Wesleyan College
Location: Macon, GA
Acceptance Rate: 60%
Middle 50% SAT: 946-1113
Middle 50% ACT: 18-26
Undergrad Enrollment: 745
Founded in 1836 as the Georgia Female College, Wesleyan was the first college in the U.S. to grant degrees to women and remains an all-women’s college today. Despite the lack of male students, Wesleyan fields a diverse class—40% of students identify as women of color, and students from 20 countries call the campus home. While Wesleyan no longer has sororities on campus, the college is the birthplace of sororities in the U.S.; between 1851 and 1852, the Adelphean Society and the Philomathean Society were both established on campus.
Learn more about Wesleyan College and what it takes to get accepted.
What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?
Wondering what your odds are of admission at one of the Empire State of the South’s renowned schools? CollegeVine can help. Our free chancing engine uses a variety of factors—including grades, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, and awards—to predict your odds of acceptance at hundreds of schools in both Georgia and across the country.
Our chancing engine can also help you build a balanced school list—by knowing your odds of acceptance, you can strategically assign safety, target, and reach schools and put yourself in the ideal position to get into a great fit school. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!
