Ranked by a blended score of graduation rate, first-year retention, and median graduate earnings — the three outcomes that most reliably separate schools that serve students well from those that do not.
Includes 4-year institutions reporting graduation rate, retention, and 10-year earnings. Ranked by score. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Schools that do not report the required fields are excluded rather than estimated — so absence from this list is not a judgment about the school.
| # | College | Score | Grad Rate | Retention | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA · Public |
0.917 | 94.0% | 98.1% | $102,772 |
| 2 | Emory University Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.825 | 91.1% | 95.7% | $80,137 |
| 3 | University of Georgia Athens, GA · Public |
0.778 | 89.7% | 94.0% | $68,726 |
| 4 | Spelman College Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.710 | 78.5% | 94.1% | $59,993 |
| 5 | Mercer University Macon, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.644 | 69.6% | 82.2% | $58,354 |
| 6 | Covenant College Lookout Mountain, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.639 | 71.5% | 88.2% | $50,412 |
| 7 | Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.638 | 70.7% | 81.3% | $56,274 |
| 8 | Berry College Mount Berry, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.631 | 69.5% | 83.5% | $53,800 |
| 9 | Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA · Public |
0.622 | 63.6% | 82.3% | $58,140 |
| 10 | Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.612 | 69.4% | 86.3% | $45,954 |
| 11 | Morehouse College Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.602 | 59.4% | 86.9% | $52,889 |
| 12 | Chamberlain University-Georgia Sandy Springs, GA · Private for-profit |
0.583 | 50.0% | 40.0% | $92,405 |
| 13 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA · Public |
0.566 | 52.2% | 76.7% | $57,552 |
| 14 | Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA · Public |
0.564 | 54.9% | 77.8% | $53,236 |
| 15 | Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.557 | 54.1% | 73.3% | $55,232 |
| 16 | Georgia State University Atlanta, GA · Public |
0.543 | 53.1% | 79.9% | $47,384 |
| 17 | Augusta University Augusta, GA · Public |
0.521 | 48.8% | 75.6% | $48,472 |
| 18 | University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA · Public |
0.511 | 43.5% | 77.5% | $49,587 |
| 19 | LaGrange College Lagrange, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.505 | 46.9% | 67.2% | $51,745 |
| 20 | Piedmont University Demorest, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.504 | 47.4% | 69.8% | $49,130 |
| 21 | Wesleyan College Macon, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.494 | 44.5% | 76.0% | $44,317 |
| 22 | Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA · Public |
0.492 | 42.4% | 71.9% | $49,361 |
| 23 | Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.491 | 49.0% | 70.7% | $42,712 |
| 24 | Beulah Heights University Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.484 | 33.3% | 100.0% | $35,236 |
| 25 | University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA · Public |
0.481 | 37.3% | 73.5% | $50,135 |
| 26 | Clayton State University Morrow, GA · Public |
0.481 | 39.9% | 70.9% | $49,179 |
| 27 | Columbus State University Columbus, GA · Public |
0.469 | 41.8% | 69.7% | $44,544 |
| 28 | Young Harris College Young Harris, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.465 | 41.8% | 64.6% | $47,195 |
| 29 | Reinhardt University Waleska, GA · Private nonprofit |
0.463 | 43.6% | 62.2% | $46,541 |
| 30 | Fort Valley State University Fort Valley, GA · Public |
0.462 | 41.1% | 78.5% | $36,666 |
Georgia Institute of Technology leads this ranking at 0.917. Former students there report a median income of $102,772 ten years after entering. Average net price runs $12,116 per year. See the full Georgia Institute of Technology profile →
No single metric identifies the right school for a given student. Earnings vary far more by major than by institution. Graduation rates partly reflect who a school admits, not only how well it teaches. Net price is an average across all income bands, and your actual offer may land well above or below it. Use this list to build a shortlist, then compare your real aid letters.
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