University Headquarters (HQ) is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that provides independent college rankings using a proprietary formula to create first class, unbiased rankings. The team at University HQ strives to provide accurate and trustworthy rankings that highlight the best programs in Georgia.
Featured Online Programs
Are you considering enrolling in an online college degree program in Georgia? Many prospective students seek to earn degrees in order to increase the number of employment opportunities available to them. This is because many employers consider college graduates to be more qualified, making them ideal candidates during job searches. Other benefits of earning a degree include higher salary potential and more employment security.
Those who graduate with degrees in Georgia will also have many opportunities for employment. While the state saw only a slight increase in employment from January 2020 to 2021, the unemployment rate moved from 3.3% to 2.6%. Jobs with the most growth included food preparers and servers, registered nurses, personal care aids, and retail salespersons. The fastest growing occupations are occupational therapy assistants, personal care aids, physical therapist assistants, health specialists, teachers, and film editors. Residents are likely to see the most openings in work related to food preparation, food service, sales, labor, and customer service.
In 2020, Georgia had a mean hourly wage of $27.97 and an annual mean wage of $51,940. The national annual wage is $56,310, making earnings for workers in the state just below average. College graduates can, however, expect to earn more than those who do not have college degrees.
Prospective students and workers in Georgia should also realize that salaries in the state vary depending on their chosen career field. Some employment options offer significantly higher pay than others. Georgia’s careers with the fastest job growth, above average wages, and most annual job openings include architectural and engineering managers, computer an information systems managers, financial managers, medical and health services managers, personal financial advisors, and software developers.
Online Higher Education in Georgia
The total student population in the state was 553,037 for the 2020-2021 academic year. This includes 464,767 undergraduate and 88,270 graduate school students. Of these, 192,741 students are enrolled exclusively in online courses, while an additional 200,755 students are enrolled in at least some online courses.
For residents, the average cost of tuition and fees to enroll in college in Georgia is $4,710 per academic year. The average cost for out-of-state students, however, is $11,484 per academic year.
Choosing to enroll in online courses can help mitigate some of the costs associated with earning a degree. In general, online academic programs tend to be cheaper than most traditional colleges and universities that charge students for many additional expenses. Traditional students often pay significantly more to live and eat on campus and are frequently charged further fees and costs for parking, activities, and some services. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that students who do not pay for room and board on campus must still keep housing and food expenses in mind when finalizing academic plans. Prospective students considering online programs should also remember to complete and submit the FAFSA, as many of the same financial aid opportunities are available to on-campus and online students.
Our School Rankings Methodology
You can use online rankings to determine which academic programs are best suited to help you achieve your personal and professional goals. Rankings typically provide valuable insight that can make it easier to decide between potential schools and programs.
We are always incredibly thorough in our investigations and assessments as we develop our list of top online programs. When generating the results for Georgia, we focused our data collection process on colleges and universities that offer online courses and are properly accredited. Our team also carefully considered overall the quality and affordability of all the institutions before releasing the findings.
To ensure accuracy and applicability for students of all kinds, we utilize a proprietary ratings system to rank colleges and universities with the best online college programs in Georgia.
Some of the data types utilized to generate our rankings include:
- Graduation Rate
- Net Price
- Average Graduate Salary
- Retention Rate
- Reputation
- Student-to-Faculty Ratio
Top 20 Best Online Associate & Community Colleges in Georgia
Oconee Fall Line Technical College
Score: 84.89
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,201
- Out-of-State:$5,601
- Net Price: $6,097
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 75%
- Graduation Rate: 61%
- Total Enrollment: 1,819
- Undergrad Students: 1,819
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $31,200
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Southern Crescent Technical College
Score: 83.69
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,126
- Out-of-State:$5,526
- Net Price: $4,354
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 63%
- Graduation Rate: 57%
- Total Enrollment: 5,018
- Undergrad Students: 5,018
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $33,600
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Central Georgia Technical College
Score: 79.46
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,180
- Out-of-State:$5,580
- Net Price: $3,023
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 59%
- Graduation Rate: 44%
- Total Enrollment: 9,683
- Undergrad Students: 9,683
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $33,400
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Georgia Northwestern Technical College
Score: 79.32
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,132
- Out-of-State:$5,532
- Net Price: $3,421
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 65%
- Graduation Rate: 49%
- Total Enrollment: 6,141
- Undergrad Students: 6,141
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $32,100
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Southeastern Technical College
Score: 79.1
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,172
- Out-of-State:$5,572
- Net Price: $5,541
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 55%
- Graduation Rate: 42%
- Total Enrollment: 1,757
- Undergrad Students: 1,757
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $35,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
Score: 77.77
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,212
- Out-of-State:$5,612
- Net Price: $4,914
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 66%
- Graduation Rate: 43%
- Total Enrollment: 4,003
- Undergrad Students: 4,003
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $32,600
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Savannah Technical College
Score: 77.05
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,072
- Out-of-State:$5,472
- Net Price: $7,399
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 55%
- Graduation Rate: 46%
- Total Enrollment: 3,642
- Undergrad Students: 3,642
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $33,700
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Coastal Pines Technical College
Score: 76.6
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,040
- Out-of-State:$5,440
- Net Price: $4,335
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 43%
- Graduation Rate: 50%
- Total Enrollment: 3,747
- Undergrad Students: 3,747
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $31,100
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Chattahoochee Technical College
Score: 75.2
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,252
- Out-of-State:$5,652
- Net Price: $5,586
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 58%
- Graduation Rate: 39%
- Total Enrollment: 9,017
- Undergrad Students: 9,017
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $34,800
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Albany Technical College
Score: 75.15
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,196
- Out-of-State:$5,596
- Net Price: $5,159
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 52%
- Graduation Rate: 45%
- Total Enrollment: 2,577
- Undergrad Students: 2,577
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $30,800
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Southern Regional Technical College
Score: 73.35
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,122
- Out-of-State:$5,522
- Net Price: $315
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 48%
- Graduation Rate: 30%
- Total Enrollment: 4,657
- Undergrad Students: 4,657
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $32,700
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Score: 73.31
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,188
- Out-of-State:$5,588
- Net Price: $10,584
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 56%
- Graduation Rate: 37%
- Total Enrollment: 2,874
- Undergrad Students: 2,874
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $35,500
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
West Georgia Technical College
Score: 72.41
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,122
- Out-of-State:$5,522
- Net Price: $2,497
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 50%
- Graduation Rate: 34%
- Total Enrollment: 6,140
- Undergrad Students: 6,140
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $32,900
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Lanier Technical College
Score: 71.35
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,716
- Out-of-State:$6,716
- Net Price: $7,408
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 59%
- Graduation Rate: 37%
- Total Enrollment: 5,599
- Undergrad Students: 5,599
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $32,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Ogeechee Technical College
Score: 70.47
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,170
- Out-of-State:$5,570
- Net Price: $7,430
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 56%
- Graduation Rate: 45%
- Total Enrollment: 2,045
- Undergrad Students: 2,045
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $28,400
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Augusta Technical College
Score: 69.29
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $4,022
- Out-of-State:$7,022
- Net Price: $10,258
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 54%
- Graduation Rate: 35%
- Total Enrollment: 3,970
- Undergrad Students: 3,970
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $32,700
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Andrew College
Score: 63.29
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $19,126
- Out-of-State:$19,126
- Net Price: $21,908
- Acceptance Rate: 50%
- Retention Rate: 69%
- Graduation Rate: 24%
- Total Enrollment: 247
- Undergrad Students: 247
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $30,400
- Student-to-faculty: 7:1
Atlanta Technical College
Score: 60.08
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,164
- Out-of-State:$5,564
- Net Price: N/A
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 55%
- Graduation Rate: 37%
- Total Enrollment: 3,125
- Undergrad Students: 3,125
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $30,300
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Columbus Technical College
Score: 58
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,042
- Out-of-State:$5,442
- Net Price: $7,083
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 42%
- Graduation Rate: 23%
- Total Enrollment: 3,134
- Undergrad Students: 3,134
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $26,500
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Georgia Military College
Score: 55.4
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,112
- Out-of-State:$8,112
- Net Price: $10,544
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 33%
- Graduation Rate: 37%
- Total Enrollment: 6,998
- Undergrad Students: 6,998
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $22,300
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Top 25 Best Online Colleges in Georgia
University of Georgia
Score: 90.92
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,180
- Out-of-State:$30,220
- Net Price: $17,180
- Acceptance Rate: 43%
- Retention Rate: 94%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
- Total Enrollment: 40,607
- Undergrad Students: 30,714
- Graduate Students: 9,893
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Mercer University
Score: 84.79
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $40,890
- Out-of-State:$40,890
- Net Price: $22,087
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 8,889
- Undergrad Students: 4,859
- Graduate Students: 4,030
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Wesleyan College
Score: 75.21
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $27,650
- Out-of-State:$27,650
- Net Price: $13,900
- Acceptance Rate: 67%
- Retention Rate: 63%
- Graduation Rate: 46%
- Total Enrollment: 660
- Undergrad Students: 614
- Graduate Students: 46
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 7:1
Thomas University
Score: 74.95
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,640
- Out-of-State:$11,640
- Net Price: $16,308
- Acceptance Rate: 46%
- Retention Rate: 36%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 1,531
- Undergrad Students: 793
- Graduate Students: 738
- Grads Salary: $64,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Georgia College & State University
Score: 73.01
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,998
- Out-of-State:$28,178
- Net Price: $20,301
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 6,315
- Undergrad Students: 5,265
- Graduate Students: 1,050
- Grads Salary: $62,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Kennesaw State University
Score: 72.71
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,786
- Out-of-State:$17,040
- Net Price: $18,079
- Acceptance Rate: 68%
- Retention Rate: 75%
- Graduation Rate: 46%
- Total Enrollment: 43,190
- Undergrad Students: 38,927
- Graduate Students: 4,263
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
Clayton State University
Score: 72.47
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,068
- Out-of-State:$15,790
- Net Price: $9,792
- Acceptance Rate: 56%
- Retention Rate: 60%
- Graduation Rate: 34%
- Total Enrollment: 5,847
- Undergrad Students: 5,283
- Graduate Students: 564
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Georgia Southern University
Score: 71.95
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,905
- Out-of-State:$16,959
- Net Price: $15,352
- Acceptance Rate: 89%
- Retention Rate: 72%
- Graduation Rate: 53%
- Total Enrollment: 25,481
- Undergrad Students: 21,979
- Graduate Students: 3,502
- Grads Salary: $66,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
Columbus State University
Score: 71.62
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,751
- Out-of-State:$16,805
- Net Price: $12,902
- Acceptance Rate: 88%
- Retention Rate: 65%
- Graduation Rate: 43%
- Total Enrollment: 7,479
- Undergrad Students: 6,003
- Graduate Students: 1,476
- Grads Salary: $69,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Piedmont University
Score: 70.99
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $30,680
- Out-of-State:$30,680
- Net Price: $18,792
- Acceptance Rate: 64%
- Retention Rate: 68%
- Graduation Rate: 48%
- Total Enrollment: 1,843
- Undergrad Students: 1,245
- Graduate Students: 598
- Grads Salary: $64,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Truett McConnell University
Score: 70.23
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $25,568
- Out-of-State:$25,568
- Net Price: $18,835
- Acceptance Rate: 81%
- Retention Rate: 69%
- Graduation Rate: 46%
- Total Enrollment: 2,796
- Undergrad Students: 2,683
- Graduate Students: 113
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
University of West Georgia
Score: 70.04
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,971
- Out-of-State:$17,024
- Net Price: $15,625
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 43%
- Total Enrollment: 11,893
- Undergrad Students: 8,666
- Graduate Students: 3,227
- Grads Salary: $65,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Georgia Southwestern State University
Score: 69.32
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $4,980
- Out-of-State:$15,702
- Net Price: $12,186
- Acceptance Rate: 73%
- Retention Rate: 60%
- Graduation Rate: 36%
- Total Enrollment: 3,070
- Undergrad Students: 2,473
- Graduate Students: 597
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Savannah College of Art and Design
Score: 66.79
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $40,595
- Out-of-State:$40,595
- Net Price: $45,976
- Acceptance Rate: 82%
- Retention Rate: 81%
- Graduation Rate: 73%
- Total Enrollment: 16,414
- Undergrad Students: 13,582
- Graduate Students: 2,832
- Grads Salary: $64,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Brenau University
Score: 66.74
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $33,275
- Out-of-State:$33,275
- Net Price: $23,635
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 55%
- Graduation Rate: 46%
- Total Enrollment: 2,704
- Undergrad Students: 1,368
- Graduate Students: 1,336
- Grads Salary: $66,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Fort Valley State University
Score: 66.34
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,392
- Out-of-State:$16,114
- Net Price: $13,016
- Acceptance Rate: 43%
- Retention Rate: 67%
- Graduation Rate: 46%
- Total Enrollment: 2,605
- Undergrad Students: 2,360
- Graduate Students: 245
- Grads Salary: $52,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Albany State University
Score: 62.68
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,934
- Out-of-State:$16,656
- Net Price: $14,672
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 68%
- Graduation Rate: 28%
- Total Enrollment: 6,334
- Undergrad Students: 5,812
- Graduate Students: 522
- Grads Salary: $63,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Herzing University-Atlanta
Score: 62.2
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,420
- Out-of-State:$13,420
- Net Price: $23,073
- Acceptance Rate: 93%
- Retention Rate: 40%
- Graduation Rate: 25%
- Total Enrollment: 663
- Undergrad Students: 615
- Graduate Students: 48
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
University of North Georgia
Score: 61.18
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,009
- Out-of-State:$15,441
- Net Price: $11,721
- Acceptance Rate: 70%
- Retention Rate: 72%
- Graduation Rate: 39%
- Total Enrollment: 18,029
- Undergrad Students: 17,240
- Graduate Students: 789
- Grads Salary: $46,800
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Toccoa Falls College
Score: 60.49
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $23,250
- Out-of-State:$23,250
- Net Price: $20,609
- Acceptance Rate: 68%
- Retention Rate: 60%
- Graduation Rate: 46%
- Total Enrollment: 2,046
- Undergrad Students: 2,008
- Graduate Students: 38
- Grads Salary: $50,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Atlanta Metropolitan State College
Score: 60.02
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,105
- Out-of-State:$9,731
- Net Price: $6,758
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 48%
- Graduation Rate: 24%
- Total Enrollment: 1,435
- Undergrad Students: 1,435
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $59,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
Reinhardt University
Score: 58.98
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $28,420
- Out-of-State:$28,420
- Net Price: $26,845
- Acceptance Rate: 62%
- Retention Rate: 57%
- Graduation Rate: 37%
- Total Enrollment: 1,141
- Undergrad Students: 1,059
- Graduate Students: 82
- Grads Salary: $55,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
College of Coastal Georgia
Score: 57.74
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,483
- Out-of-State:$10,389
- Net Price: $12,117
- Acceptance Rate: 98%
- Retention Rate: 58%
- Graduation Rate: 23%
- Total Enrollment: 3,147
- Undergrad Students: 3,147
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $57,000
- Student-to-faculty: 23:1
Georgia Highlands College
Score: 56.58
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $2,944
- Out-of-State:$9,296
- Net Price: $6,055
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 58%
- Graduation Rate: 19%
- Total Enrollment: 4,768
- Undergrad Students: 4,768
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $52,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Georgia Military College
Score: 56.13
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,112
- Out-of-State:$8,112
- Net Price: $10,544
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 33%
- Graduation Rate: 37%
- Total Enrollment: 6,998
- Undergrad Students: 6,998
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $48,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
sources:
- May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Georgia. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Occupational Outlooks. Georgia LaborMarket Explorer
- Georgia’s Hot Careers to 2028. Georgia Department of Labor
- Economy at a Glance: Georgia. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Georgia labor Forces Estimates. Georgia Department of Labor