Ranking

Best Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Colleges in Georgia 2026

Dalton State College leads this ROI ranking with an A+ value grade and a 20.08 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 25 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.

39 eligible Georgia colleges reporting awards in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, ranked by EduGradify's school-wide value signal.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $5,012
Top earnings 10y: $80,137
Public / Private: 20 / 5

Dalton State College

A+

Dalton, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 20.08
Net price: $5,012
Earnings 10y: $40,251
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Atlanta Metropolitan State College

Atlanta, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 15.81
Net price: $5,258
Earnings 10y: $33,252
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Georgia Highlands College

Rome, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 15.58
Net price: $6,928
Earnings 10y: $43,184
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Clayton State University

Morrow, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 14.70
Net price: $8,365
Earnings 10y: $49,179
Acceptance: 68.5%

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 12.79
Net price: $6,842
Earnings 10y: $34,996
Acceptance: 75.7%

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 12.76
Net price: $9,823
Earnings 10y: $50,135
Acceptance: 67.9%

University of Georgia

Athens, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 12.33
Net price: $13,936
Earnings 10y: $68,726
Acceptance: 37.7%

Gordon State College

Barnesville, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 11.68
Net price: $8,105
Earnings 10y: $37,871
Acceptance: 85.9%

Savannah State University

Savannah, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 11.62
Net price: $8,172
Earnings 10y: $37,981
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#10

Valdosta State University

Valdosta, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 11.27
Net price: $10,945
Earnings 10y: $49,361
Acceptance: 72.3%

#11

Georgia State University-Perimeter College

Atlanta, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 10.34
Net price: $11,453
Earnings 10y: $47,384
Acceptance: 90.8%

#12

South Georgia State College

Douglas, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 10.18
Net price: $8,767
Earnings 10y: $35,697
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#13

Georgia Southwestern State University

Americus, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 10.14
Net price: $12,019
Earnings 10y: $48,757
Acceptance: 75.2%

#14

East Georgia State College

Swainsboro, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 9.65
Net price: $9,626
Earnings 10y: $37,174
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#15

Emory University

Atlanta, GA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 8.87
Net price: $22,585
Earnings 10y: $80,137
Acceptance: 10.7%

#16

Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 8.87
Net price: $10,338
Earnings 10y: $36,666
Acceptance: 65.9%

#17

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 8.72
Net price: $15,267
Earnings 10y: $53,236
Acceptance: 87.9%

#18

Albany State University

Albany, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 8.55
Net price: $11,898
Earnings 10y: $40,674
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#19

Columbus State University

Columbus, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 8.49
Net price: $13,115
Earnings 10y: $44,544
Acceptance: 99.1%

#20

Middle Georgia State University

Macon, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 8.26
Net price: $12,361
Earnings 10y: $40,863
Acceptance: 99.7%

#21

Brenau University

Gainesville, GA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 7.13
Net price: $18,924
Earnings 10y: $54,003
Acceptance: 87.8%

#22

Oglethorpe University

Atlanta, GA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 7.08
Net price: $19,509
Earnings 10y: $55,232
Acceptance: 88.5%

#23

Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, GA · Public

ROI proxy: 7.03
Net price: $20,686
Earnings 10y: $58,140
Acceptance: 78.2%

#24

Thomas University

Thomasville, GA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.72
Net price: $18,499
Earnings 10y: $49,716
Acceptance: 38.3%

#25

Shorter University

Rome, GA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.70
Net price: $16,646
Earnings 10y: $44,604
Acceptance: 96.5%

How we picked this list

This list starts with Georgia schools reporting awards in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, excludes low-denominator, very small and incomplete records, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The eligible set's average EduGradify ROI proxy is 10.61 (20 public, 5 private).

ROI lists require average net price of at least $4,600, enrollment of at least 500 and a reported graduation rate so unusually small denominators or incomplete records cannot dominate the public leaderboard.

Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

Dalton State College in Dalton, GA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi proxy using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

How many Georgia colleges are in this list?

39 Georgia colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.

Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?

Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.