Georgia ranking · College Scorecard · Mar-Jul 2026 retrievals
Best Colleges in Georgia
Using U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data retrieved March-July 2026, these operating Georgia colleges (undergraduate enrollment 1,000+) rank highest on value: median earnings ten years after enrollment minus average net price. That single gap is the sort key - not prestige, selectivity, or a composite score.
- $90,656
- Top earnings-price gap
- 67
- Georgia colleges ranked
- $12,116
- #1 avg net price
The list in one line
Among Georgia colleges with enrollment of 1,000+, every school on this list clears a $-4,593 earnings-minus-net-price gap. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus leads at $90,656.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- $90,656
- #1 - Georgia Institute of
- $102,772
- #1 ten-year median earnings
- $-4,593
- #67 cutoff gap
- 1,000+
- undergraduate enrollment floor
Value = 10-year median earnings - average net price for federal-aid students. See methodology for cohort and lag details.
Top 15 Georgia colleges by earnings-price gap
Higher gap = more earnings relative to average net price
- Georgia Institute of Tec…
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
$90,656 earnings - net price
- Chamberlain University-G…
Chamberlain University-Georgia
$59,217 earnings - net price
- Emory University
Emory University
$57,552 earnings - net price
- University of Georgia
University of Georgia
$54,790 earnings - net price
- Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University
$42,504 earnings - net price
- Clayton State University
Clayton State University
$40,814 earnings - net price
- University of North Geor…
University of North Georgia
$40,312 earnings - net price
- Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University
$38,416 earnings - net price
- Gwinnett Technical College
Gwinnett Technical College
$38,329 earnings - net price
- Georgia Southern Univers…
Georgia Southern University
$37,969 earnings - net price
- Georgia College & State …
Georgia College & State University
$37,454 earnings - net price
- University of West Georgia
University of West Georgia
$36,801 earnings - net price
- Georgia Southwestern Sta…
Georgia Southwestern State University
$36,738 earnings - net price
- Georgia Highlands College $36,256
Georgia Highlands College
$36,256 earnings - net price
- Georgia State University… $35,931
Georgia State University-Perimeter College
$35,931 earnings - net price
What this shows Specialized health and career schools can rank highly when program mix lifts earnings; compare completion rates and debt on each school profile before reading value as overall quality.
The full Georgia list
| # | School Name | Median Earnings (10yr) | Avg Net Price | Earnings - Price | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | $102,772 | $12,116 | $90,656 | 18,785 |
| 2 | Chamberlain University-Georgia | $92,405 | $33,188 | $59,217 | 1,940 |
| 3 | Emory University | $80,137 | $22,585 | $57,552 | 7,298 |
| 4 | University of Georgia | $68,726 | $13,936 | $54,790 | 32,137 |
| 5 | Kennesaw State University | $57,552 | $15,048 | $42,504 | 41,254 |
| 6 | Clayton State University | $49,179 | $8,365 | $40,814 | 4,348 |
| 7 | University of North Georgia | $50,135 | $9,823 | $40,312 | 16,146 |
| 8 | Valdosta State University | $49,361 | $10,945 | $38,416 | 6,622 |
| 9 | Gwinnett Technical College | $45,025 | $6,696 | $38,329 | 8,728 |
| 10 | Georgia Southern University | $53,236 | $15,267 | $37,969 | 21,790 |
| 11 | Georgia College & State University | $58,140 | $20,686 | $37,454 | 5,947 |
| 12 | University of West Georgia | $49,587 | $12,786 | $36,801 | 7,520 |
| 13 | Georgia Southwestern State University | $48,757 | $12,019 | $36,738 | 2,424 |
| 14 | Georgia Highlands College | $43,184 | $6,928 | $36,256 | 4,761 |
| 15 | Georgia State University-Perimeter College | $47,384 | $11,453 | $35,931 | 13,693 |
| 16 | Oglethorpe University | $55,232 | $19,509 | $35,723 | 1,352 |
| 17 | Dalton State College | $40,251 | $5,012 | $35,239 | 4,553 |
| 18 | Brenau University | $54,003 | $18,924 | $35,079 | 1,029 |
| 19 | Augusta University | $48,472 | $13,787 | $34,685 | 5,613 |
| 20 | Mercer University | $58,354 | $23,847 | $34,507 | 4,500 |
| 21 | Chattahoochee Technical College | $37,138 | $3,407 | $33,731 | 8,727 |
| 22 | West Georgia Technical College | $35,479 | $2,457 | $33,022 | 5,163 |
| 23 | Georgia Gwinnett College | $47,730 | $15,844 | $31,886 | 11,344 |
| 24 | Berry College | $53,800 | $22,320 | $31,480 | 2,245 |
| 25 | Georgia State University | $47,384 | $15,931 | $31,453 | 26,623 |
| 26 | Columbus State University | $44,544 | $13,115 | $31,429 | 5,625 |
| 27 | Atlanta Technical College | $30,350 | $-914 | $31,264 | 3,875 |
| 28 | Southern Regional Technical College | $31,293 | $813 | $30,480 | 3,098 |
| 29 | Southern Crescent Technical College | $36,104 | $5,661 | $30,443 | 4,098 |
| 30 | Coastal Pines Technical College | $30,214 | $-126 | $30,340 | 1,648 |
| 31 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | $30,864 | $614 | $30,250 | 2,887 |
| 32 | Columbus Technical College | $34,238 | $4,001 | $30,237 | 2,719 |
| 33 | Georgia Northwestern Technical College | $35,759 | $5,720 | $30,039 | 4,244 |
| 34 | Lanier Technical College | $37,623 | $7,799 | $29,824 | 4,613 |
| 35 | Savannah State University | $37,981 | $8,172 | $29,809 | 2,833 |
| 36 | Gordon State College | $37,871 | $8,105 | $29,766 | 2,544 |
| 37 | South Georgia Technical College | $30,364 | $1,164 | $29,200 | 1,407 |
| 38 | Athens Technical College | $35,951 | $6,949 | $29,002 | 3,318 |
| 39 | North Georgia Technical College | $32,932 | $4,005 | $28,927 | 1,910 |
| 40 | Albany State University | $40,674 | $11,898 | $28,776 | 5,956 |
| 41 | Piedmont University | $49,130 | $20,599 | $28,531 | 1,117 |
| 42 | Middle Georgia State University | $40,863 | $12,361 | $28,502 | 6,574 |
| 43 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | $34,996 | $6,842 | $28,154 | 3,208 |
| 44 | Atlanta Metropolitan State College | $33,252 | $5,258 | $27,994 | 1,228 |
| 45 | Shorter University | $44,604 | $16,646 | $27,958 | 1,028 |
| 46 | East Georgia State College | $37,174 | $9,626 | $27,548 | 1,413 |
| 47 | South Georgia State College | $35,697 | $8,767 | $26,930 | 1,466 |
| 48 | Savannah Technical College | $33,018 | $6,114 | $26,904 | 3,366 |
| 49 | Fort Valley State University | $36,666 | $10,338 | $26,328 | 2,684 |
| 50 | Albany Technical College | $30,541 | $4,524 | $26,017 | 2,029 |
| 51 | Ogeechee Technical College | $31,248 | $6,542 | $24,706 | 1,820 |
| 52 | College of Coastal Georgia | $39,318 | $15,261 | $24,057 | 2,979 |
| 53 | Central Georgia Technical College | $30,848 | $7,052 | $23,796 | 6,174 |
| 54 | Augusta Technical College | $33,523 | $10,485 | $23,038 | 3,923 |
| 55 | Georgia Military College | $39,257 | $16,923 | $22,334 | 3,992 |
| 56 | Reinhardt University | $46,541 | $24,425 | $22,116 | 1,066 |
| 57 | Strayer University-Georgia | $40,092 | $18,318 | $21,774 | 4,299 |
| 58 | Spelman College | $59,993 | $38,967 | $21,026 | 3,414 |
| 59 | Georgia Piedmont Technical College | $34,619 | $13,761 | $20,858 | 2,198 |
| 60 | Southeastern Technical College | $30,329 | $10,612 | $19,717 | 1,008 |
| 61 | Oconee Fall Line Technical College | $30,899 | $12,844 | $18,055 | 1,708 |
| 62 | Morehouse College | $52,889 | $39,013 | $13,876 | 2,844 |
| 63 | Point University | $38,740 | $25,335 | $13,405 | 1,996 |
| 64 | South University-Savannah Online | $34,421 | $28,049 | $6,372 | 6,433 |
| 65 | Clark Atlanta University | $42,712 | $37,702 | $5,010 | 3,603 |
| 66 | Savannah College of Art and Design | $45,954 | $49,430 | $-3,476 | 15,243 |
| 67 | United Education Institute-Morrow | $31,141 | $35,734 | $-4,593 | 1,160 |
About This Ranking
Schools in Georgia are ranked by the same value metric as the national best-value list: 10-year median earnings minus average net price. Only operating schools with at least 1,000 undergraduates and both figures published are included. Ties break toward larger enrollment. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See methodology.
Caveats and limitations
"Best" here means the largest earnings-minus-price gap among eligible Georgia schools - not teaching quality, campus life, or the right fit for any applicant. Program mix (for example nursing or engineering) can lift institution-level earnings without proving a stronger undergraduate experience.
Earnings cover federally aided students only and describe a lagged cohort. Net price averages aided students and will not match every family's bill. Always open the school profile for completion, debt, and program detail.
This ranking is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or admissions advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Rankings are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar-Jul 2026 retrievals.