The 10 Cheapest Colleges in Georgia (2023)

What’s Covered:

• Tips for Saving Money on College
• The 10 Cheapest Colleges in Georgia
• How Much Will You Pay for College?

Whether it’s the location of the school or the quality of the food in the cafeteria, there’s a lot to consider when choosing a college. Another factor to consider in the decision-making of many college-bound students is its expense. According to Fidelity, four in ten high school students rank cost as their highest priority when choosing a college.

Tips for Saving Money on College

Despite the rising cost of college, there are some simple steps students can take to help reduce the expense.

Attend an In-State Public School

In-state public schools provide an affordable option to cost-conscious college-bound students. For the 2021-2022 academic year, the typical college cost (including tuition and fees; room and board; and allowances for books and supplies, transportation, and other personal expenses) was $27,330 at public in-state universities and a whopping $55,800 at private nonprofit colleges. That’s not to say you can’t find value at private nonprofit colleges, as they commonly award merit aid more generously than their public counterparts.

Consider Community College

Attending community college lacks the glamor of going to your dream school, but can save you huge amounts of money while you fulfill your general education requirements early in your college career. The average local community college student pays a little over $141 per credit hour or $423 per course, compared to $390/$1,170 for in-state students at four-year public universities and $1,365/$4,095 for students at private four-year universities. Some systems, like the University of California System, even guarantee admission to students transferring from the state’s community colleges provided they meet certain requirements.

Spend Less Time at College

Less than half of students in college graduate in four years. The more time you spend in college, the more expensive it becomes and the less time you’re earning money as a member of the workforce. Have a plan to matriculate, know the classes you need to take, and don’t take (or pay for) classes that don’t contribute to your degree. Accelerated programs, summer sessions, and high school coursework that count for college credit—like AP classes—can also help ensure you minimize your time in college and its expense.

The 10 Cheapest Colleges in Georgia

1. East Georgia State College

Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $2,280/$8,632

Location: Swainsboro, GA

Acceptance Rate: N/A

Undergrad Enrollment: 2,900

East Georgia State College is a small, student-focused institution with three locations, the main campus in Swainsboro along with two satellite campuses in Statesboro and Augusta. The 385-acre main campus is an outdoor oasis featuring a pine forest, two ponds, and a variety of wildlife including deer, foxes, and tortoises. The main campus is also home to two residence halls, an 18-hole disc golf course, a nature trail, and basketball courts.

Learn more about East Georgia State College and what it takes to get accepted.

2. South Georgia State College

Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $2,280/$8,632

Location: Douglas, GA

Acceptance Rate: N/A

Undergrad Enrollment: 2,400

South Georgia State College (SGSC) is a small institution that delivers a tight-knit community and personal attention to students, but is also large enough to provide them with a true college experience. SGSC offers eight bachelor’s degrees:

• Biological Sciences
• Management
• Nursing
• Early Childhood/Special Education
• Long-Term Healthcare Management
• Mechanical Engineering Technology
• Public Service Leadership
• Professional, Business, and Technical Writing

South Georgia State College is spread across two campuses—Douglas and Waycross—both of which provide ample green space along with all the other amenities of college such as academic buildings, athletic facilities, and libraries.

Learn more about South Georgia State College and what it takes to get accepted.

3. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $2,563/$9,469

Location: Tifton, GA

Acceptance Rate: 76%

Undergrad Enrollment: 4,200

Despite its humble beginnings, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC)—which started as a high school for just 27 students in 1908—has grown into one of the 26 members of the University System of Georgia. As its name implies, ABAC is best known for its Agriculture and Natural Resource programs, but it also offers tracks in fields such as the arts, sciences, and business. Despite its affordability, ABAC is notable for its great dorms and delicious food, which the website Niche ranks 72nd and 93rd (out of 1,392) in the nation.

Learn more about Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and what it takes to get accepted.

4. College of Coastal Georgia

Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $2,563/$9,469

Location: Brunswick, GA

Acceptance Rate: 96%

Undergrad Enrollment: 3,500

The College of Coastal Georgia delivers students an interactive and affordable education in one of the state’s most beautiful natural areas, the Golden Isles. The College of Coastal Georgia offers a variety of degrees—ranging from American studies to workforce management and leadership. The college also offers a handful of “academic pathways,” which are associate’s degrees that move into four-year bachelor’s programs.

Learn more about the College of Coastal Georgia and what it takes to get accepted.

5. Dalton State College

Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $2,563/$9,469

Location: Dalton, GA

Acceptance Rate: N/A

Undergrad Enrollment: 5,100

Located in northwest Georgia, Dalton State College offers students the opportunity to earn a variety of bachelor’s degrees—ranging from accounting to sociology—as well as a multitude of associate’s degrees and certificate programs. In 2014, Dalton State welcomed its first Greek organization to campus; in the following years, two other Greek organizations were added. Dalton State College is Georgia’s first and only Hispanic-Serving Institution, a designation given to schools with 25% or more full-time undergraduate Hispanic or Latino students.

Learn more about Dalton State College and what it takes to get accepted.

6. Gordon State College

Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $2,563/$9,469

Location: Barnesville, GA

Acceptance Rate: 79%

Undergrad Enrollment: 3,600

Gordon State College traces its roots back to a small schoolhouse built in the quiet town of Barnesville in 1832. Today, the college offers 27 degrees—11 bachelor’s and 16 associate’s—through its three schools:

• School of Business, Liberal Arts, and Social Sciences
• School of Education, Mathematics, and Applied Sciences
• School of Nursing, Health, and Natural Sciences

An overwhelming number of Gordon State College’s two-year students (71%) continue into four-year programs.

Learn more about Gordon State College and what it takes to get accepted.

7. Middle Georgia State University

Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $2,728/$10,075

Location: Macon, GA

Acceptance Rate: 99%

Undergrad Enrollment: 7,500

Middle Georgia State University (MGA) is a unique place—it’s both one of Georgia’s oldest institutions ( founded as a junior college in the 1880s) and also the state’s newest university, earning the status in July of 2015. MGA offers a wide variety of degrees through its six schools:

• School Of Arts & Letters
• School Of Aviation
• School Of Business
• School Of Computing
• School Of Education & Behavioral Sciences
• School Of Health & Natural Sciences

Learn more about Middle Georgia State University and what it takes to get accepted.

8. Georgia Gwinnett College

Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $3,214/$12,000

Location: Lawrenceville, GA

Acceptance Rate: 95%

Undergrad Enrollment: 12,500

Opening its doors just in 2006, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is the first four-year public college in the U.S. founded in the 21st century and the first college founded in Georgia in more than a century. In a relatively short amount of time, GGC has grown its student body from a mere 118 students to over 12,000. GGC follows a curriculum based on liberal arts and offers 20 academic majors. Outside of the classroom, the school is home to more than 60 clubs and six athletic teams.

Learn more about Georgia Gwinnett College and what it takes to get accepted.

9. University of North Georgia

Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $3,689/$13,194

Location: Dahlonega, GA

Acceptance Rate: 81%

Undergrad Enrollment: 19,000

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains is the University of North Georgia (UNG), the seventh-largest public university in the state. UNG is one of only six federally designated senior military colleges and is designated by the state legislature as The Military College of Georgia. According to the website Niche, UNG is one of the most politically conservative colleges in the country, ranking 35th out of 854 schools.

Learn more about the University of North Georgia and what it takes to get accepted.

10. Savannah State University

Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $4,064/$14,786

Location: Savannah, GA

Acceptance Rate: 46%

Undergrad Enrollment: 3,800

Savannah State University (SSU) is notable as the first public historically Black college or university in Georgia and the oldest institution of higher learning in the historic city of Savannah. The university’s picturesque campus located just minutes from the ocean allows it to offer unique programming compared to other schools in the state—SSU has the only marine science undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Georgia based entirely on a coastal campus. SSU also offers the region’s only four-year Naval ROTC program with tuition-assisted training in science and technology leading to commissioned service in the Navy and the Marine Corps.

Learn more about Savannah State University and what it takes to get accepted.

How Much Will You Pay for College?

Sticker price is a poor measurement of the cost of college, as the actual expense varies significantly from student to student. Net price delivers a clearer picture of the actual cost of college. It’s calculated by subtracting scholarship and grant dollars from the sticker price. Almost every college provides a net price calculator, however, our free Financial Aid Calculator provides a centralized solution to understanding the true cost of college.