2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in Georgia
Trying to decide what college is best for you is no easy matter. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Georgia Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking - to help you make that decision.
We analyzed 46 colleges and universities to determine which were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in Georgia. Quality is an important component in this ranking, so it is not just naming the schools with the cheapest price tag. Instead, it is identifying those institutions that offer the most value when taking their educational quality into consideration. So it is possible that College A may rank better than College B, while College B is less expensive to attend.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
When determining average cost, we look at total expenses, such as tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other living expenses. This gives a rough estimation of how much money you can expect to pay out-of-pocket or through loans each year.
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Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in Georgia
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
University of Georgia tops this year’s ranking as the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in Georgia. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 8,022 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at UGA about 4.3 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $27,450 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UGA is about $116,937. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. UGA did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Colleges in Georgia list.
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Out of the 46 schools in Georgia that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large public school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 3,717 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Georgia Tech is 4.6 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $29,632 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech is $136,307. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Georgia Tech not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #2 on our Best Colleges in Georgia list.
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Out of the 46 schools in Georgia that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia College & State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Milledgeville, Georgia, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,304 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Georgia College, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $28,855 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Georgia College is $123,499. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Georgia College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in Georgia list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Southern University. It ranked #4 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in Georgia list. GaSou is a large public school situated in Statesboro, Georgia. It awarded 4,502 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at GaSou graduates in less than 4.6 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $23,497 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from GaSou be around $107,851. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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A rank of #5 on our Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia list means Augusta University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Augusta University is a medium-sized public school located in Augusta, Georgia that handed out 1,061 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Augusta University about 4.9 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $22,845 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Augusta University is $112,626. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Mercer University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Georgia ranking, coming in at #6. Mercer is a private not-for-profit institution located in Macon, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,205 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Mercer to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $41,842 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Mercer is about $179,502. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Mercer also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges in Georgia ranking.
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University of North Georgia ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia list. Dahlonega, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,964 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at UNG graduates in less than 4.5 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $21,339 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UNG is $96,239. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Covenant College landed the #8 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Georgia ranking. Lookout Mountain, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 222 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Covenant to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $49,420 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Covenant be around $201,634. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Covenant excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges in Georgia list.
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With a ranking of #9, Georgia State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia list. Georgia State University is a large public school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 5,196 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at Georgia State to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $29,725. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State be around $137,627. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Savannah State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Georgia ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Savannah, Georgia, the small public school handed out 579 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Savannah State University about 4.7 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $17,414 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Savannah State University is $82,368. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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With a ranking of #11, Valdosta State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia list. Valdosta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,503 students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at VSU about 4.7 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $20,745 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from VSU is about $96,879. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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With a ranking of #12, Georgia Southwestern State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia list. Georgia Southwestern State University is a small public school located in Americus, Georgia that handed out 431 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at GSW about 4.6 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $19,928 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from GSW is $91,868. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Spelman College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Georgia ranking, coming in at #13. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 465 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Spelman is 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $54,310 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Spelman is $223,757. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Spelman is ranked #4 for overall quality in Georgia.
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Berry College landed the #14 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Georgia ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Mount Berry, Georgia, and it awarded 539 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Berry, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $53,540. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Berry is $219,514. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Berry also made our Best Colleges in Georgia list, coming in at #5.
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Middle Georgia State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia ranking. Middle Georgia State University is a medium-sized public school located in Macon, Georgia that handed out 776 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Middle Georgia State University, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.8 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $16,339. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Middle Georgia State University be around $78,264. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Dalton State College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia ranking. Located in Dalton, Georgia, the small public school awarded 528 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at DSC is 5.0 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $14,948 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from DSC is $74,889. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Columbus State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia ranking. Columbus, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,050 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at CSU graduates in less than 4.8 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $22,068. This means that the average student pays around $105,264 to get a bachelor’s degree from CSU. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Georgia ranking, coming in at #18. Tifton, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 331 students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at ABAC Tifton about 4.6 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $15,479 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $71,513 to get a bachelor’s degree from ABAC Tifton. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Emory University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia list. Emory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,598 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Emory about 4.1 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $72,604. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Emory is about $297,676. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Emory also made our Best Colleges in Georgia list, coming in at #1.
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Agnes Scott College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Georgia ranking, coming in at #20. Agnes Scott is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 254 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Agnes Scott graduates in less than 4.1 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $57,505 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Agnes Scott is $236,346. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Agnes Scott excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges in Georgia list.
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With a ranking of #20, Beulah Heights University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 14 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at BHU about 4.0 years to graduate, and it costs students who receive no aid about $22,460 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $89,840 to get a bachelor’s degree from BHU. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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College of Coastal Georgia did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Georgia ranking, coming in at #22. CCGA is located in Brunswick, Georgia and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 280 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at CCGA graduates in less than 4.6 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $21,629 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from CCGA is about $100,142. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Kennesaw State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia ranking. Kennesaw State University is a large public school located in Kennesaw, Georgia that handed out 5,351 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at KSU Georgia graduates in less than 4.9 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $27,253. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from KSU Georgia is $132,995. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Clayton State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Georgia ranking. Located in Morrow, Georgia, the medium-sized public school handed out 938 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Clayton State University about 4.9 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $21,290. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Clayton State University is $104,747. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Fort Valley State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Georgia ranking, coming in at #25. Fort Valley State University is a small public school situated in Fort Valley, Georgia. It awarded 331 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Fort Valley State University about 4.9 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $20,704 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Fort Valley State University is $102,071. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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