The Top 50 Best Colleges in the US is College Raptor’s most prestigious rankings list. Updated annually, these schools are celebrated for their rich histories, stunning campuses, excellent academics, and vibrant student life. The institutions on this list are known for both academic excellence and impressive extracurricular opportunities, making them “dream schools” for students around the world. Use these rankings as a jumping-off point for you to create your own personalized rankings using our college match tool.
Each of these rankings is based on an analysis of data about the school’s selectivity, financial health, graduation rates, student success, and more. We’ve outlined our full methodology here.
| Rank | Institution | Undergraduates | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emory University | 7407 | 10.65 | 1,460 – 1,550 | 27303 | 74980 |
#1
Emory University
|
| 2 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | 20591 | 14.07 | 1,370 – 1,530 | 15918 | 89432 |
#2
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
|
| 3 | University of Georgia | 32399 | 37.7 | 1,300 – 1,490 | 16662 | 57565 |
#3
University of Georgia
|
| 4 | Spelman College | 3417 | 24.87 | 1,110 – 1,330 | 40354 | 45676 |
#4
Spelman College
|
| 5 | Agnes Scott College | 843 | 62.15 | 1,180 – 1,360 | 27499 | 41382 |
#5
Agnes Scott College
|
| 6 | Covenant College | 1087 | 86.51 | 1,150 – 1,380 | 27926 | 39570 |
#6
Covenant College
|
| 7 | Mercer University | 4690 | 68.89 | 1,180 – 1,370 | 24364 | 50231 |
Mercer University
|
| 8 | Berry College | 2254 | 64 | 1,120 – 1,320 | 25363 | 45014 |
Berry College
|
| 9 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 15552 | 82.98 | 1,060 – 1,290 | 50821 | 34110 |
#9
Savannah College of Art and Design
|
| 10 | Georgia College & State University | 6006 | 78.23 | 1,090 – 1,240 | 21632 | 50644 |
#10
Georgia College & State University
|
| 11 | Morehouse College | 2847 | 43.96 | 970 – 1,210 | 36292 | 38267 |
Morehouse College
|
| 12 | Oglethorpe University | 1396 | 88.45 | 1,100 – 1,340 | 20490 | 42691 |
Oglethorpe University
|
| 13 | University of North Georgia | 18322 | 67.94 | 990 – 1,210 | 11157 | 43085 |
University of North Georgia
|
| 14 | Georgia State University | 27415 | 55.44 | 960 – 1,200 | 16854 | 37844 |
#14
Georgia State University
|
| 15 | Wesleyan College | 496 | 59.1 | 990 – 1,140 | 12837 | 35630 |
Wesleyan College
|
| 16 | Augusta University | 6049 | 86.41 | 970 – 1,160 | 13976 | 45037 |
Augusta University
|
| 17 | LaGrange College | 651 | 62.09 | 1,000 – 1,150 | 21139 | 46599 |
LaGrange College
|
| 18 | Piedmont University | 1159 | 93.28 | 1,020 – 1,240 | 22252 | 43761 |
Piedmont University
|
| 19 | Georgia Southern University | 23541 | 87.89 | 990 – 1,140 | 15971 | 44423 |
#19
Georgia Southern University
|
| 20 | Kennesaw State University | 42760 | 69.19 | 1,010 – 1,230 | 15636 | 47863 |
Kennesaw State University
|
| 21 | Morris Brown College | 432 | 49.53 | 730 – 900 | 23892 | 63721 |
#21
Morris Brown College
|
| 22 | Young Harris College | 1451 | 62.64 | 930 – 1,190 | 21969 | 36389 |
Young Harris College
|
| 23 | Emmanuel University | 886 | 74 | 970 – 1,170 | 20445 | 37595 |
Emmanuel University
|
| 24 | Truett McConnell University | 2524 | 78.26 | 990 – 1,180 | 22179 | 39193 |
Truett McConnell University
|
| 25 | Clark Atlanta University | 3618 | 64.22 | 890 – 1,090 | 31223 | 28097 |
Clark Atlanta University
|
| 26 | University of West Georgia | 9103 | 51.61 | 950 – 1,130 | 12913 | 41000 |
University of West Georgia
|
| 27 | Brenau University | 1273 | 87.78 | 940 – 1,180 | 19743 | 41664 |
Brenau University
|
| 28 | Fort Valley State University | 2699 | 65.87 | 950 – 1,100 | 10047 | 28649 |
Fort Valley State University
|
| 29 | Albany State University | 6154 | 73.02 | 780 – 930 | 11484 | 35579 |
#29
Albany State University
|
| 30 | Toccoa Falls College | 3013 | 65.96 | 1,000 – 1,210 | 21955 | 33131 |
Toccoa Falls College
|
| 31 | Valdosta State University | 7166 | 72.29 | 920 – 1,110 | 11144 | 39416 |
#31
Valdosta State University
|
| 32 | Columbus State University | 6123 | 99.12 | 850 – 1,090 | 12420 | 39190 |
Columbus State University
|
| 33 | Reinhardt University | 1129 | 61.54 | 970 – 1,170 | 24550 | 40411 |
Reinhardt University
|
| 34 | Savannah State University | 2966 | 46.14 | 850 – 1,000 | 7956 | 27494 |
Savannah State University
|
| 35 | Point University | 1997 | 44.26 | 920 – 1,200 | 19545 | 36410 |
Point University
|
| 36 | Shorter University | 1203 | 96.46 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 16821 | 41860 |
Shorter University
|
| 37 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | 3825 | 75.72 | 890 – 1,090 | 7308 | 35495 |
#37
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
|
| 38 | Clayton State University | 5551 | 68.45 | 860 – 1,070 | 8192 | 41633 |
Clayton State University
|
| 39 | Life University | 899 | 93.03 | 930 – 1,110 | 29111 | 37368 |
Life University
|
| 40 | Middle Georgia State University | 7692 | 99.68 | 940 – 1,190 | 11883 | 39624 |
Middle Georgia State University
|
| 41 | Dalton State College | 5135 | 43.43 | 830 – 1,070 | 5625 | 37491 |
Dalton State College
|
| 42 | Georgia Southwestern State University | 3024 | 75.17 | 890 – 1,110 | 11769 | 42047 |
Georgia Southwestern State University
|
| 43 | Thomas University | 1022 | 38.3 | 1,000 – 1,220 | 17823 | 45305 |
Thomas University
|
| 44 | Georgia Gwinnett College | 12230 | 95.5 | 940 – 1,170 | 15225 | 36756 |
Georgia Gwinnett College
|
| 45 | College of Coastal Georgia | 3468 | 98.13 | 900 – 1,110 | 14941 | 35382 |
College of Coastal Georgia
|
| 46 | East Georgia State College | 1820 | 100 | 760 – 930 | 9480 | 30593 |
#46
East Georgia State College
|
| 47 | Brewton-Parker Christian University | 1234 | 96.49 | 920 – 1,060 | 25613 | 35732 |
Brewton-Parker Christian University
|
| 48 | Gordon State College | 3179 | 85.9 | 880 – 1,150 | 7807 | 33163 |
Gordon State College
|
| 49 | Paine College | 390 | 95.43 | 820 – 1,000 | 15935 | 25240 |
Paine College
|
| 50 | Herzing University-Atlanta | 387 | 93.75 | -- | 21390 | 35295 |
#50
Herzing University-Atlanta
|
| 51 | South University-Savannah Online | 6439 | 54.82 | -- | 27841 | 34115 |
#51
South University-Savannah Online
|
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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