The Most Selective Colleges in Georgia
Every eligible Georgia four-year that reports an admission rate, ranked hardest to get into first and easiest last — not a prestige Top 25. Selectivity here is the published rate, not a magazine composite.
Ranked by acceptance rate · 42 of 62 Georgia institutions in this universe qualify for this ranking · Compiled 2026-09-01
- 1Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · Private11.1%Compare nearby
- 2Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GA · Public16.5%Compare nearby
- 3Spelman CollegeAtlanta, GA · Private34.1%Compare nearby
- 4University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · Public37.2%Compare nearby
- 5Thomas UniversityThomasville, GA · Private43.2%Compare nearby
- 6University of West GeorgiaCarrollton, GA · Public49.4%Compare nearby
- 7Morehouse CollegeAtlanta, GA · Private51.4%Compare nearby
- 8Emmanuel UniversityFranklin Springs, GA · Private53.4%Compare nearby
- 9Reinhardt UniversityWaleska, GA · Private55.2%Compare nearby
- 10Oglethorpe UniversityAtlanta, GA · Private60.1%Compare nearby
- 11Berry CollegeMount Berry, GA · Private61.9%Compare nearby
- 12Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA · Public62.3%Compare nearby
- 13Fort Valley State UniversityFort Valley, GA · Public62.8%Compare nearby
- 14LaGrange CollegeLagrange, GA · Private63.2%Compare nearby
- 15Toccoa Falls CollegeToccoa Falls, GA · Private63.8%Compare nearby
- 16Young Harris CollegeYoung Harris, GA · Private64.0%Compare nearby
- 17Clark Atlanta UniversityAtlanta, GA · Private64.6%Compare nearby
- 18Mercer UniversityMacon, GA · Private66.5%Compare nearby
- 19Agnes Scott CollegeDecatur, GA · Private67.3%Compare nearby
- 20Point UniversityWest Point, GA · Private67.5%Compare nearby
- 21Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA · Public69.2%Compare nearby
- 22Clayton State UniversityMorrow, GA · Public70.6%Compare nearby
- 23University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA · Public72.2%Compare nearby
- 24Georgia Southwestern State UniversityAmericus, GA · Public77.2%Compare nearby
- 25Abraham Baldwin Agricultural CollegeTifton, GA · Public77.2%Compare nearby
- 26Covenant CollegeLookout Mountain, GA · Private81.8%Compare nearby
- 27Valdosta State UniversityValdosta, GA · Public83.5%Compare nearby
- 28Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, GA · Private83.7%Compare nearby
- 29Brewton-Parker CollegeMount Vernon, GA · Private86.4%Compare nearby
- 30Gordon State CollegeBarnesville, GA · Public86.8%Compare nearby
- 31Brenau UniversityGainesville, GA · Private87.0%Compare nearby
- 32Georgia College & State UniversityMilledgeville, GA · Public87.8%Compare nearby
- 33Augusta UniversityAugusta, GA · Public89.3%Compare nearby
- 34Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA · Public89.6%Compare nearby
- 35Truett McConnell UniversityCleveland, GA · Private90.7%Compare nearby
- 36Piedmont UniversityDemorest, GA · Private92.8%Compare nearby
- 37Life UniversityMarietta, GA · Private93.8%Compare nearby
- 38Georgia Gwinnett CollegeLawrenceville, GA · Public95.6%Compare nearby
- 39Shorter UniversityRome, GA · Private96.9%Compare nearby
- 40College of Coastal GeorgiaBrunswick, GA · Public98.5%Compare nearby
- 41Columbus State UniversityColumbus, GA · Public99.2%Compare nearby
- 42Middle Georgia State UniversityMacon, GA · Public99.8%Compare nearby
How this list was built
- Measure
- Acceptance rate — sorted lowest to highest
- Source variable
ADM_RATE- Dataset
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (05-19-2025 release)
- Georgia institutions in this universe (62 schools).
- Georgia four-year main campuses only. Rank order is published admission rate; on an exact tie, higher SAT average ranks above, and missing SAT does not drop a school. SAT is not shown because it is not the ranked measure. Schools without a published ADM_RATE are omitted rather than estimated.
- Institutions enrolling fewer than 500 undergraduates are excluded — the same size floor as the national selectivity list — even when they report an admission rate. That cut is not a median-stability adjustment.
- 42 of 62 Georgia institutions in this universe qualify for this ranking (report the measure and pass any enrollment floor); the rest are omitted rather than estimated.
A single measure is a narrow way to judge a college. Read this alongside the others, and see the methodology for what these figures do and do not capture.
Keep exploring
- Re-rank with your weightsRe-score with your weights, pre-filtered to GA
- Showdown: Emory University vs Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusHigher-or-lower on Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Live leaderboardReshuffle Top 10–50 on one Scorecard measure
- Explore games & mapsShowdown, Name That College, sports, and more lists
- Sports at Emory UniversityEADA programs for the #1 school on this list
Keep going
The Most Selective Colleges in America
Lowest share of applicants admitted. Selectivity measures demand and class size, not teaching quality.
Colleges with the Highest SAT Averages
Average SAT score of enrolled students. Reported by fewer than half of institutions as test-optional admissions has spread.
Colleges That Admit Nearly Everyone
Open and near-open admission four-year institutions, ranked by the share of applicants accepted.