Cheapest Colleges in Georgia
Sticker prices at the 43 four-year colleges we rank in Georgia run from $3,268 to $64,280 a year in tuition and fees, a gap of $61,012 between the cheapest school and the most expensive one.
The 21 public colleges here charge a median of $5,750 a year, $4,190 (42%) below the national public median of $9,940. The 22 private nonprofit colleges on the list charge a median of $32,003, under the $39,582 national private median. Sticker price alone rarely settles the cheapest private option, so check the net price column.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College ranks first at $3,268, ahead of Dalton State College ($3,336) and Gordon State College ($3,628).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- 4-year colleges whose main award is the bachelor's degree (public, private nonprofit and for-profit)
- Ranked by in-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in Georgia
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported in-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; Georgia has 43
- Data period
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 43 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton, GA Public · 4-year | $3,268 | $10,588 | $6,842 | 33% | 3,208 |
| 2 | Dalton State College Dalton, GA Public · 4-year | $3,336 | $10,656 | $5,012 | 28% | 4,553 |
| 3 | Gordon State College Barnesville, GA Public · 4-year | $3,628 | $10,948 | $8,105 | 19% | 2,544 |
| 4 | Georgia Gwinnett College Lawrenceville, GA Public · 4-year | $4,532 | $13,844 | $15,844 | 21% | 11,344 |
| 5 | Middle Georgia State University Macon, GA Public · 4-year | $5,038 | $16,390 | $12,361 | 25% | 6,574 |
| 6 | Clayton State University Morrow, GA Public · 4-year | $5,180 | $16,532 | $8,365 | 38% | 4,348 |
| 7 | Georgia Southwestern State University Americus, GA Public · 4-year | $5,220 | $16,572 | $12,019 | 36% | 2,424 |
| 8 | University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA Public · 4-year | $5,285 | $16,503 | $9,823 | 37% | 16,146 |
| 9 | Fort Valley State University Fort Valley, GA Public · 4-year | $5,526 | $16,932 | $10,338 | 43% | 2,684 |
| 10 | Albany State University Albany, GA Public · 4-year | $5,656 | $17,008 | $11,898 | 27% | 5,956 |
| 11 | Savannah State University Savannah, GA Public · 4-year | $5,750 | $19,043 | $8,172 | 27% | 2,833 |
| 12 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA Public · 4-year | $5,808 | $17,736 | $15,048 | 50% | 41,254 |
| 13 | Columbus State University Columbus, GA Public · 4-year | $5,898 | $17,610 | $13,115 | 42% | 5,625 |
| 14 | Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA Public · 4-year | $6,022 | $17,734 | $15,267 | 53% | 21,790 |
| 15 | University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA Public · 4-year | $6,088 | $17,800 | $12,786 | 43% | 7,520 |
| 16 | Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA Public · 4-year | $6,124 | $17,836 | $10,945 | 42% | 6,622 |
| 17 | Augusta University Augusta, GA Public · 4-year | $8,414 | $24,734 | $13,787 | 49% | 5,613 |
| 18 | Georgia State University Atlanta, GA Public · 4-year | $8,664 | $24,840 | $15,931 | 53% | 26,623 |
| 19 | Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA Public · 4-year | $9,186 | $29,512 | $20,686 | 63% | 5,947 |
| 20 | University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 4-year | $11,450 | $31,688 | $13,936 | 89% | 32,137 |
| 21 | Thomas University Thomasville, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $11,640 | — | $18,499 | 28% | 998 |
| 22 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA Public · 4-year | $12,058 | $34,484 | $12,116 | 93% | 18,785 |
| 23 | Life University Marietta, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $15,036 | — | $29,791 | 36% | 893 |
| 24 | Toccoa Falls College Toccoa Falls, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $23,950 | — | $21,642 | 45% | 875 |
| 25 | Point University West Point, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $24,000 | — | $25,335 | 38% | 1,996 |
| 26 | Shorter University Rome, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $24,630 | — | $16,646 | 37% | 1,028 |
| 27 | Emmanuel University Franklin Springs, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $25,500 | — | $20,925 | 38% | 775 |
| 28 | Truett McConnell University Cleveland, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $26,792 | — | $22,227 | 39% | 744 |
| 29 | Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $28,310 | — | $37,702 | 48% | 3,603 |
| 30 | Reinhardt University Waleska, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $30,074 | — | $24,425 | 39% | 1,066 |
| 31 | Spelman College Atlanta, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $31,556 | — | $38,967 | 77% | 3,414 |
| 32 | Piedmont University Demorest, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $31,700 | — | $20,599 | 44% | 1,117 |
| 33 | Young Harris College Young Harris, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $32,305 | — | $22,034 | 44% | 755 |
| 34 | Morehouse College Atlanta, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $32,893 | — | $39,013 | 56% | 2,844 |
| 35 | Brenau University Gainesville, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $34,027 | — | $18,924 | 34% | 1,029 |
| 36 | LaGrange College Lagrange, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $35,400 | — | $20,875 | 44% | 636 |
| 37 | Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $41,630 | — | $49,430 | 70% | 15,243 |
| 38 | Berry College Mount Berry, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $41,686 | — | $22,320 | 72% | 2,245 |
| 39 | Covenant College Lookout Mountain, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $42,040 | — | $26,265 | 72% | 939 |
| 40 | Mercer University Macon, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $42,312 | — | $23,847 | 72% | 4,500 |
| 41 | Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $47,590 | — | $19,509 | 54% | 1,352 |
| 42 | Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $50,604 | — | $24,754 | 71% | 836 |
| 43 | Emory University Atlanta, GA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $64,280 | — | $22,585 | 91% | 7,298 |
How to compare these colleges
Start with the net price column rather than the sticker price. Net price is the average a student who receives aid pays after grants and scholarships, so a school that ranks lower here can still be the cheaper choice for your family. The out-of-state column applies only if you are not a legal resident of Georgia, and only public colleges charge a separate rate.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for Georgia
Cheap colleges in Georgia for out-of-state students
27 schools
Best value colleges in Georgia
25 schools
Highest graduate earnings in Georgia
49 schools
Most affordable private colleges in Georgia
23 schools
Same list in nearby states
Cheapest colleges in North Carolina
47 schools
Cheapest colleges in Florida
42 schools
Cheapest colleges in Tennessee
36 schools
All 67 colleges in Georgia See the national version of this ranking