The Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Georgia

Georgia is home to nearly 60 four-year public and private, not-for-profit colleges that confer bachelor’s degrees. In fact, Georgia ranks 10th among the states with the most colleges in the US. While not home to any Ivy League schools, Georgia boasts several of colleges with strong academic records and high levels of selectivity when it comes to applicants. What’s good news for Georgia residents is that the Peach State has a number of major public research colleges, such as the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia, which is a public land-grant research university to be specific.

If you’re a high school student who has a high cumulative GPA, solid scores on your standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT, and have a repertoire of activities in other important areas, such as extracurriculars and leadership positions, then you may want to apply to an academically competitive college in Georgia. In addition to schools with rigorous academics, Georgia also is home to several schools with great athletic programs, which always enhances the college experience. Plus, there are tons of Georgia college scholarships that you can take advantage of when applying to school in the state.

Therefore, In order to help you identify some of the top Georgia colleges to apply to, BrokeScholar analyzed all the schools in the state that are four-year institutions, including both public colleges and private, not for-profit colleges, that award bachelor’s degrees or higher. We sourced the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) as well as from individual college websites, then analyzed and ranked all colleges in Georgia in terms of how difficult they are to gain acceptance to. (See the methodology section for more details).

Read on to find out the hardest colleges to get into in Georgia.

What Are the Hardest Colleges to Get into in Georgia?

Based on our analysis of Georgia’s nearly 60 four-year colleges, the hardest college to get into in the Peach State has an undergraduate acceptance rate of just 13%. Compare that acceptance rate to the average undergraduate acceptance rate for the study overall, 76%. Indeed, 6 out of the 10 hardest colleges to get into in Georgia have undergraduate admission rates of less than 50%. 

Upon finishing our analysis of the hardest colleges to get into in Georgia, we composed a top-10 list to make things easier for you. This list is composed of primarily private, not-for-profit colleges but there are two public colleges that made the list as well. In fact, the second hardest college to get into in Georgia is a public university. 

Taking a look at our analysis of all four-year Georgia colleges, the overall average graduation rate was a comparatively low 42%. That’s a stark contrast, for example, compared to our study of the hardest colleges to get into in Massachusetts, which showed the overall average graduation rate for the state was 70%. Of the top 10 hardest colleges to get into in Georgia, the highest graduation rate was 92%, which is well over double that 42% overall average.

Below you’ll find a list of the 10 hardest colleges to get into in Georgia, listed in order of lowest acceptance rate to highest acceptance rate. Also included in the breakdown below are costs of tuition and required fees (though required fees does not include room and board).

Based on our analysis, the hardest college to get into in Georgia is Emory University, a private research university located in Atlanta, Georgia. Emory has an undergraduate admission rate of only 13%, making it way more selective than the 76% overall average acceptance rate for all Georgia colleges in the study. The second hardest college to get into in Georgia is a public institution, Georgia Tech, with an undergraduate admission rate of 16%. That acceptance rate is one of the most selective rates for a public university in the US in general. 

Here’s detailed breakdown of the hardest colleges to get into in Georgia:

1. Emory University

Total number of applicants: 33,435

Emory University acceptance rate: 13%

Tuition and required fees: $57,948

Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 58% Female - 42% Male

Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Emory University is a private research university, founded back in 1836 and is the second-oldest private institution of higher education in Georgia. With an undergraduate population of over 7,100, Emory University received an impressive 33,435 applications in the 2021-2022 academic year. Of that, only 13% — a little over 1 in 10 people — were accepted. This makes Emory University the No. 1 hardest college to get into in Georgia. Emory University also has the second highest graduation rate, at 90%, out of all colleges in Georgia.

Emory University’s cost of tuition and required fees, which is nearly $58,000 a year, make it the most expensive college in Georgia. However, that price buys you a lot in terms of educational value. Emory University has a robust academic structure, with multiple undergraduate and graduate schools within it, including:

• College of Arts and Sciences
• Oxford College
• Goizueta Business School
• Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
• James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies
• Emory Law
• School of Medicine
• Rollins School of Public Health
• Candler School of Theology

2. Georgia Tech

Total number of applicants: 44,048

Georgia Tech acceptance rate: 16%

Tuition and required fees: $11,764 for in-state | $32,876 for out-of-state

Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 40% Female - 60% Male

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, founded in 1885. Georgia Tech is part of the University System of Georgia, an organization that includes 26 public institutions. Georgia Tech came in as the second hardest college to get into in Georgia with an undergraduate acceptance rate of just 16%. That equates to less than 1 in 5 applicants getting accepted. On top of that, Georgia Tech boasts the highest graduation rate in the entire state at 92%. And, as a public university, it has a comparatively good student-to-teacher ratio of 14 to 1; for comparison, the University of Georgia’s student-to-teacher ratio is 17 to 1.

Georgia Tech offers a wide range of degree levels and academic programs. It particularly stands out for being the best biomedical engineering school in Georgia by far. According to NCES data, some of the most popular fields of study to earn a degree in include:

• Bachelor’s degrees: 739 awarded in Computer and Information Sciences, General; 510 awarded in Mechanical Engineering; 391 awarded in Business Administration and Management, General; 338 awarded in Industrial Engineering; and 252 awarded in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering.
• Master’s degrees: 2,076 awarded in Computer and Information Sciences, General; 685 awarded in Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other; 334 awarded in Electrical and Electronics Engineering; 250 awarded in Business Administration and Management, General; and 223 awarded in Mechanical Engineering.
• Doctoral degrees: 91 awarded in Electrical and Electronics Engineering; 61 awarded in Mechanical Engineering; 51 awarded in Computer and Information Sciences, General; 40 awarded in Chemical Engineering; and 39 awarded in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering.

3. Thomas University

Total number of applicants: 853

Thomas University acceptance rate: 29%

Tuition and required fees: $11,080

Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 56% Female - 44% Male

Located in Thomasville, Georgia, which is down in southwest Georgia near the Florida border, Thomas University is a private university offering associate, bachelor, and master's degrees. Thomas University offers 28 different bachelor’s degrees through its campus at Thomasville or online. It also offers 16 different master’s degrees. With an undergraduate population of around 760 students and a total student population of nearly 1,400 students, Thomas University is definitely one of the smaller colleges to make our top 10 list. Its undergraduate acceptance rate of 29% means that fewer than 3 in 10 applicants get accepted to Thomas University, which is incredibly competitive. Looking at NCES data, the most popular bachelor’s degree awarded is in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration with 35 conferred. In terms of master’s programs, degrees in education are the most popular at Thomas University.

4. University of Georgia (UGA)

Total number of applicants: 39,229

UGA acceptance rate: 40%

Tuition and required fees: $11,180 for in-state | $30,220 for out-of-state

Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 58% Female - 42% Male

The University of Georgia, home of the Georgia Bulldogs, is located in Athens, Georgia. As a public land-grant research university, UGA was founded in 1785, making it one of the oldest public universities in the US. The University of Georgia is the second public university to make our top-10 list of the hardest colleges to get into in Georgia. With an undergraduate acceptance rate of 40%, UGA is quite selective for a public university. What’s more, UGA has a great track record in terms of getting students to graduate, boasting a graduation rate of 88%, which is the third highest in the state. 

UGA has dozens of subsidiary schools, colleges, and academic departments. Notably, the University of Georgia is one of the best veterinary colleges in the US, thanks to its College of Veterinary Medicine. Some of the other schools and colleges at UGA include: 

• College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
• College of Engineering
• College of Environment and Design
• College of Family and Consumer Sciences
• College of Pharmacy
• College of Public Health
• College of Veterinary Medicine
• Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
• The Graduate School
• Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
• Mary Frances Early College of Education
• Morehead Honors College
• Odum School of Ecology
• School of Law
• School of Public and International Affairs
• School of Social Work
• Terry College of Business
• Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

5. Luther Rice College & Seminary

Total number of applicants: 19

Luther Rice acceptance rate: 47%

Tuition and required fees: $9,088

Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 33% Female - 67% Male

Located in Lithonia, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, Luther Rice College & Seminary is a private Baptist college and seminary. With an undergraduate acceptance rate of 47%, Luther Rice is much more selective than the average admission rate of 76% for the study as a whole. As you can tell by the small number of applicants, Luther Rice is a small school, with an undergraduate population of just over 200 students. Its total student population is a little over 600 students. Being a seminary, it isn’t surprising that the most popular bachelor’s degree awarded was in Bible/Biblical Studies, with 36 conferred in the 2021 academic year. That same year, 70 master’s degrees were awarded in Divinity/Ministry. And 8 doctoral degrees were awarded in Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other.

6. Point University

Total number of applicants: 771

Point University acceptance rate: 47%

Tuition and required fees: $22,100

Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 53% Female - 47% Male

Point University is a private evangelical Christian university in West Point, Georgia. Originally founded in 1937 as Atlanta Christian College, the college announced its name change to Point University in 2011 and moved its main campus to West Point in June 2012. Point University has an undergraduate population of over 1,600 and awards both bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees. Though it has one of the most competitive admission rates, at 47%, Point University interestingly has a poor graduation rate: 29% versus a 42% average for the study as a whole.

7. Andrew College

Total number of applicants: 750

Andrew College acceptance rate: 51%

Tuition and required fees: $18,214

Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 54% Female - 46% Male

Located in Cuthbert, Georgia, Andrew College is a private liberal arts college associated with The United Methodist Church. It’s also the ninth-oldest college in Georgia. Andrew College is very small, with an undergraduate population of just over 270, and undergraduates comprise the college’s entire student body. Boasting a very selective acceptance rate of 51% for undergraduate applicants, Andrew College oddly has a very low graduation rate: 17%. That’s well below the study’s overall average graduation rate of 42%, which is itself not that great.

8. Spelman College

Total number of applicants: 11,176

Spelman College acceptance rate: 51%

Tuition and required fees: $28,885

Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 100% Female - 0% Male

Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman received its collegiate charter in 1924, making it America's second oldest private HBCU liberal arts college for women. It’s also easily one of the best HBCU colleges in Georgia and the US overall. With an undergraduate acceptance rate of 51%, Spelman College is one of the hardest HBCU colleges to get into as well as one of the hardest Georgia colleges to get into in general. 

Spelman College is made up of only undergraduate students, approximately 2,400 of them. It thus only awards bachelor’s degrees. According to NCES data, the most popular fields of study to pursue a bachelor’s degree in include:

• Bachelor’s degrees: 70 awarded in Psychology, General; 64 awarded in Biology/Biological Sciences, General; 46 awarded in Political Science and Government, General; 42 awarded in Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General; and 39 awarded in English Language and Literature, General.

9. Paine College

Total number of applicants: 846

Paine College acceptance rate: 52%

Tuition and required fees: $14,596

Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 47% Female - 53% Male

Located in Augusta, Georgia, Paine College is a private, historically black Methodist college, affiliated with the United Methodist Church and Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Boasting a selective acceptance rate of 52% for undergraduate applicants, Paine College is one of the hardest and best HBCU colleges to get into. Paine College is a small school, with solely undergraduate students, totaling roughly 251 students. As such, it only awards bachelor’s degrees. By far, Paine College’s most popular field of study to earn a degree in is Business Administration and Management, with half of all bachelor’s degrees conferred in the academic year 2021 being in that field.

10. Clark Atlanta University

Total number of applicants: 16,718

Clark Atlanta University acceptance rate: 58%

Tuition and required fees: $24,730

Undergraduate student gender breakdown: 76% Female - 24% Male

Clark Atlanta University is another one of Georgia’s best HBCU colleges and holds the record as the first HBCU school in the Southern United States, having been founded on September 19, 1865. With an undergraduate acceptance rate of 58%, Clark Atlanta University may not be as selective as Spelman College, but it’s still much more selective than the 76% average admission rate for all colleges in Georgia. Plus, Clark Atlanta University has a broad array of schools, colleges, and academic programs under its umbrella, including an international study program. Some of the key schools and colleges at Clark Atlanta University include:

• School of Arts & Sciences
• School of Business Administration
• School of Education
• Whitney M. Young, Jr., School of Social Work
• Graduate Education
• Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development
• Center For Undergraduate Research and Creativity
• Emerging Technology Programs

The Bottom Line on the Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Georgia

One of the most interesting things about this study of the hardest colleges to get into in Georgia is the lack of correlation between difficulty in getting accepted and graduation rates.  For the first two colleges on our list — Emory University and Georgia Tech — the correlation is readily apparent: Emory has a 13% acceptance rate and the second highest graduation rate in the state, at 90%; Georgia Tech has a 16% acceptance rate and the highest graduation rate in Georgia, at 92%. But beyond those two, the correlation gets weaker. The third hardest college to get into in Georgia — Thomas University — has an acceptance rate of only 29%, but a mediocre graduation rate of 48%. Meanwhile, Point University has a competitive admission rate of 47%, yet a poor graduation rate of only 29%.

This is why it’s important to look beyond how low of an admission rate a college has when judging if it's academically rigorous — at least in the case of Georgia colleges. There’s different criteria when researching colleges you should consider besides selectivity of admissions. Graduation rates are definitely an important factor because it reflects both the students’ academic drive and the schools’ commitment to seeing their students graduate. A great example of a Georgia college with a high graduation rate but uncompetitive acceptance rate is Agnes Scott College: It has an undergraduate acceptance rate of 70% (versus the 76% average for the study overall) but a graduation rate of 75% (versus the 42% average for the study). 

The other critical factor to consider when deciding on a college to attend is, of course, the cost. Whether you’re a Georgia resident or not, BrokeScholar has a vast library of college scholarships and student discounts that can help alleviate the financial burden on students. Even if colleges have comparatively cheap tuition, scholarships and student discounts are important because tuition and required fees do not include the costs of room and board, not to mention other non-mandatory fees you may encounter in your college experience. Always investigate what scholarships are available, even if you think you won’t be a match for anything, because there are just that many scholarships out there waiting to be won.

Methodology

In order to identify the hardest colleges to get into in Georgia, we analyzed 57 colleges and universities in Georgia that fit the following criteria:

• Are four-year public or four-year private, not-for-profit institutions
• Offer bachelor's degree programs (at a minimum)

These 57 colleges and universities were sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), as was data on their respective undergraduate populations, undergraduate acceptance rates, total number of applicants, and undergraduate student gender breakdown. The costs of tuition and required fees were sourced from individual college websites and reflect costs for either the 2022-2023 academic year or 2023-2024 academic year if the latter was available.