State rankings

Best colleges in Georgia, ranked by ROI

Name: Georgia colleges — cost, earnings and ROI rankings
Creator: Degree Dividend

By the Degree Dividend editorial data teamEvery figure verified against its federal source — methodologyData updated June 2026

We rank all 100 Georgia institutions we profile by payback years — total net cost divided by earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The state's median net price is $15,675/yr (below the $16,902 national median), and its graduates earn a median $38,712 ten years out (below the $43,549 national median). Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus leads, clearing its cost in 0.9 years. (Scorecard, 2026.)

$15,675

Median net price / yr

Scorecard, 2026

$38,712

Median earnings, 10 yrs

Scorecard, 2026

13.4 yrs

Median payback

Our math, 2026

100

Colleges ranked

degreedividend.com

Georgia colleges by payback (best first)

#	College	Net price/yr	Earnings 10y	Payback
1	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus	$12,116	$102,772	0.9 yrs
2	Emory University-Oxford College	$37,920	$80,137	2.4 yrs
3	University of Georgia	$13,936	$68,726	2.7 yrs
4	Emory University	$22,585	$80,137	2.8 yrs
5	Chamberlain University-Georgia	$33,188	$92,405	3 yrs
6	Kennesaw State University	$15,048	$57,552	6.5 yrs
7	Georgia College & State University	$20,686	$58,140	8.5 yrs
8	Mercer University	$23,847	$58,354	9.5 yrs
9	Oglethorpe University	$19,509	$55,232	11.4 yrs
10	Agnes Scott College	$24,754	$56,274	12.5 yrs
11	Georgia Southern University	$15,267	$53,236	12.5 yrs
12	Brenau University	$18,924	$54,003	13.4 yrs
13	Spelman College	$38,967	$59,993	13.4 yrs
14	Berry College	$22,320	$53,800	16.4 yrs
15	University of North Georgia	$9,823	$50,135	22.1 yrs
16	LaGrange College	$20,875	$51,745	24.7 yrs
17	Morehouse College	$39,013	$52,889	34.5 yrs
18	Clayton State University	$8,365	$49,179	40.9 yrs
19	University of West Georgia	$12,786	$49,587	41.7 yrs
20	Valdosta State University	$10,945	$49,361	43.7 yrs
21	Covenant College	$26,265	$50,412	51.2 yrs
22	Thomas University	$18,499	$49,716	54.6 yrs
23	Piedmont University	$20,599	$49,130	107 yrs
24	Georgia Southwestern State University	$12,019	$48,757	121.1 yrs
25	Augusta University	$13,787	$48,472	492.4 yrs
26	Georgia State University-Perimeter College	$11,453	$47,384	no payback
27	Georgia Gwinnett College	$15,844	$47,730	no payback
28	Georgia State University	$15,931	$47,384	no payback
29	Gwinnett Technical College	$6,696	$45,025	no payback
30	Young Harris College	$22,034	$47,195	no payback
31	Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Atlanta	$27,365	$48,191	no payback
32	Georgia Highlands College	$6,928	$43,184	no payback
33	Truett McConnell University	$22,227	$46,700	no payback
34	Columbus State University	$13,115	$44,544	no payback
35	Wesleyan College	$12,724	$44,317	no payback
36	Reinhardt University	$24,425	$46,541	no payback
37	Life University	$29,791	$47,397	no payback
38	Shorter University	$16,646	$44,604	no payback
39	DeVry University-Georgia	$28,229	$45,987	no payback
40	Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service	$29,047	$42,636	no payback
41	Brewton-Parker Christian University	$26,054	$42,009	no payback
42	Dalton State College	$5,012	$40,251	no payback
43	Middle Georgia State University	$12,361	$40,863	no payback
44	Albany State University	$11,898	$40,674	no payback
45	College of Coastal Georgia	$15,261	$39,318	no payback
46	Georgia Military College	$16,923	$39,257	no payback
47	Chattahoochee Technical College	$3,407	$37,138	no payback
48	Strayer University-Georgia	$18,318	$40,092	no payback
49	Savannah State University	$8,172	$37,981	no payback
50	Andrew College	$21,823	$38,475	no payback
51	Gordon State College	$8,105	$37,871	no payback
52	East Georgia State College	$9,626	$37,174	no payback
53	Savannah College of Art and Design	$49,430	$45,954	no payback
54	Lanier Technical College	$7,799	$37,623	no payback
55	Clark Atlanta University	$37,702	$42,712	no payback
56	West Georgia Technical College	$2,457	$35,479	no payback
57	Southern Crescent Technical College	$5,661	$36,104	no payback
58	South Georgia State College	$8,767	$35,697	no payback
59	Georgia Northwestern Technical College	$5,720	$35,759	no payback
60	Fort Valley State University	$10,338	$36,666	no payback
61	Athens Technical College	$6,949	$35,951	no payback
62	Emmanuel University	$20,925	$38,208	no payback
63	Point University	$25,335	$38,740	no payback
64	Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College	$6,842	$34,996	no payback
65	Columbus Technical College	$4,001	$34,238	no payback
66	American InterContinental University-Atlanta	$16,482	$36,144	no payback
67	Atlanta Metropolitan State College	$5,258	$33,252	no payback
68	Herzing University-Atlanta	$21,679	$36,909	no payback
69	Toccoa Falls College	$21,642	$36,630	no payback
70	North Georgia Technical College	$4,005	$32,932	no payback
71	Georgia Piedmont Technical College	$13,761	$34,619	no payback
72	Savannah Technical College	$6,114	$33,018	no payback
73	Fortis College-Smyrna	$23,657	$36,368	no payback
74	Augusta Technical College	$10,485	$33,523	no payback
75	Southern Regional Technical College	$813	$31,293	no payback
76	Wiregrass Georgia Technical College	$614	$30,864	no payback
77	Atlanta Technical College	-$914	$30,350	no payback
78	Coastal Pines Technical College	-$126	$30,214	no payback
79	South Georgia Technical College	$1,164	$30,364	no payback
80	Paine College	$16,670	$33,338	no payback
81	Ogeechee Technical College	$6,542	$31,248	no payback
82	Albany Technical College	$4,524	$30,541	no payback
83	Lincoln College of Technology-East Point	$45,567	$38,683	no payback
84	Central Georgia Technical College	$7,052	$30,848	no payback
85	South University-Savannah Online	$28,049	$34,421	no payback
86	South University-Savannah	$28,743	$34,421	no payback
87	Oconee Fall Line Technical College	$12,844	$30,899	no payback
88	Southeastern Technical College	$10,612	$30,329	no payback
89	Atlanta Institute of Music and Media	$37,832	$31,186	no payback
90	Miller-Motte College-Macon	$21,074	$31,102	no payback
91	Miller-Motte College-Augusta	$22,223	$31,102	no payback
92	Lincoln College of Technology-Marietta	$30,801	$31,914	no payback
93	United Education Institute-Morrow	$35,734	$31,141	no payback
94	Interactive College of Technology-Chamblee	$15,506	$27,065	no payback
95	Paul Mitchell the School-Esani	$18,522	$26,287	no payback
96	United Education Institute-Stone Mountain	$32,174	$27,688	no payback
97	Empire Beauty School-Morrow	$16,962	$24,397	no payback
98	Georgia Career Institute	$14,966	$23,686	no payback
99	Gwinnett College-Marietta Campus	$33,966	$25,373	no payback
100	Georgia Institute of Cosmetology	$14,397	$21,432	no payback

College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · ranking and payback are our math. Payback uses institution-wide earnings; a specific major can rank very differently.

Colleges in Georgia: frequently asked questions

Which college has the best ROI in Georgia?

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus. It charges $12,116/yr after aid and its graduates earn a median $102,772 ten years out, clearing the cost in about 0.9 years — the fastest payback of the 100 Georgia colleges we track.

How much does college cost in Georgia?

The median net price across Georgia colleges is $15,675/yr after grants and scholarships — below the $16,902 national median. That is the actual price the typical aided student pays, not the published sticker.

What do Georgia college graduates earn?

A median $38,712 ten years after entry (Scorecard), below the $43,549 national median. Earnings vary widely by school and major — see each college's profile for its own figure.

How many Georgia colleges pay for themselves?

25 of the 100 Georgia colleges we track clear their cost on institution-wide earnings above the high-school baseline. The rest need a high-ROI major to pay off — the school average alone does not.