Ranked by average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price. Net price is the single most useful cost number published, because published tuition rarely reflects any real family’s bill.
Includes institutions reporting average net price, including those reporting a negative net price. Ranked by net price. 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.
A handful of Georgia schools report a negative average net price. That means the average student receives more in grant aid — Pell, HOPE Grant, and institutional awards combined — than the school’s total cost of attendance, and the balance is refunded to them to cover living expenses.
It is a real, reported figure, not a data glitch, and it is concentrated in technical colleges serving high-Pell student populations. It does not guarantee you would pay nothing: net price is an average, and your own award depends on your family’s finances. Run the school’s net price calculator before assuming either direction.
| # | College | Net Price | In-State Tuition | Median Salary | Grad Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta Technical College Atlanta, GA · Public |
-$914 | $3,382 | $30,350 | 48.7% |
| 2 | Coastal Pines Technical College Waycross, GA · Public |
-$126 | $3,268 | $30,214 | 48.3% |
| 3 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Valdosta, GA · Public |
$614 | $3,480 | $30,864 | 50.3% |
| 4 | Southern Regional Technical College Thomasville, GA · Public |
$813 | $3,007 | $31,293 | 30.6% |
| 5 | South Georgia Technical College Americus, GA · Public |
$1,164 | $3,992 | $30,364 | 61.2% |
| 6 | West Georgia Technical College Waco, GA · Public |
$2,457 | $3,410 | $35,479 | 35.4% |
| 7 | Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GA · Public |
$3,407 | $3,540 | $37,138 | 38.3% |
| 8 | Columbus Technical College Columbus, GA · Public |
$4,001 | $4,052 | $34,238 | 26.7% |
| 9 | North Georgia Technical College Clarkesville, GA · Public |
$4,005 | $3,330 | $32,932 | 39.3% |
| 10 | Albany Technical College Albany, GA · Public |
$4,524 | $3,364 | $30,541 | 42.3% |
| 11 | Dalton State College Dalton, GA · Public |
$5,012 | $3,336 | $40,251 | 25.3% |
| 12 | Atlanta Metropolitan State College Atlanta, GA · Public |
$5,258 | $3,248 | $33,252 | 17.4% |
| 13 | Southern Crescent Technical College Griffin, GA · Public |
$5,661 | $3,516 | $36,104 | 58.3% |
| 14 | Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome, GA · Public |
$5,720 | $3,300 | $35,759 | 43.4% |
| 15 | Savannah Technical College Savannah, GA · Public |
$6,114 | $3,330 | $33,018 | 42.5% |
| 16 | Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro, GA · Public |
$6,542 | $3,388 | $31,248 | 42.9% |
| 17 | Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville, GA · Public |
$6,696 | $3,524 | $45,025 | 31.7% |
| 18 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton, GA · Public |
$6,842 | $3,268 | $34,996 | 36.1% |
| 19 | Georgia Highlands College Rome, GA · Public |
$6,928 | $3,120 | $43,184 | 20.7% |
| 20 | Athens Technical College Athens, GA · Public |
$6,949 | $3,390 | $35,951 | 50.6% |
| 21 | Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins, GA · Public |
$7,052 | $3,448 | $30,848 | 47.0% |
| 22 | Lanier Technical College Gainesville, GA · Public |
$7,799 | $3,980 | $37,623 | 34.0% |
| 23 | Gordon State College Barnesville, GA · Public |
$8,105 | $3,628 | $37,871 | 20.4% |
| 24 | Savannah State University Savannah, GA · Public |
$8,172 | $5,750 | $37,981 | 28.0% |
| 25 | Clayton State University Morrow, GA · Public |
$8,365 | $5,180 | $49,179 | 39.9% |
| 26 | South Georgia State College Douglas, GA · Public |
$8,767 | $3,314 | $35,697 | 16.2% |
| 27 | East Georgia State College Swainsboro, GA · Public |
$9,626 | $2,900 | $37,174 | 16.7% |
| 28 | University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA · Public |
$9,823 | $5,285 | $50,135 | 37.3% |
| 29 | Fort Valley State University Fort Valley, GA · Public |
$10,338 | $5,526 | $36,666 | 41.1% |
| 30 | Augusta Technical College Augusta, GA · Public |
$10,485 | $4,282 | $33,523 | 31.1% |
Atlanta Technical College leads this ranking at -$914. Former students there report a median income of $30,350 ten years after entering. Average net price runs -$914 per year. See the full Atlanta Technical College 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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