Georgia Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide
The information on this page is meant to serve as a guide for those looking for teaching schools in Georgia. There are several colleges and universities in Georgia that offer degree programs that prepare aspiring teachers for a career in education. For more information, scroll down to find lists of top-rated teaching programs, a table of accredited, state-approved teacher preparation programs, and student reviews. For anyone looking for a teaching degree in Georgia, this guide should help you find a qualified program that meets your future career goals.
Quick Facts
- There are 66 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Georgia.1
- 28 colleges and universities offer an associate’s degree in education.*1
- 41 colleges and universities offer a bachelor’s degree in education.*1
- 27 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.*1
- 6 schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019.2
- No schools ranked in Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Education Majors 2020.3
- 6 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019.4
- 10 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019.5
- 20 not-for-profit teacher programs are accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP.
*For not-for-profit colleges and universities with teacher degree programs.
Top-Ranked Schools with Education Programs in Georgia
Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019*
- Emory University (#30)
- University of Georgia (#76)
- Mercer University (#129)
- Spelman College (#222)
- Georgia State University (#273)
- University of North Georgia (#287)
*Institution-wide ranking.
US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019
- University of Georgia (#36 tie)
- Georgia State University (#45 tie)
- Georgia Southern University (#163 tie)
- Clark Atlanta University (#195-258)
- Columbus State University (#195-258)
- University of West Georgia (#195-258)
US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019
- University of Georgia (#5 tie)
- Georgia State University (#54 tie)
- Georgia Southern University (#89 tie)
- Brenau University (#105 tie)
- Georgia College & State University (#115 tie)
- University of West Georgia (#132 tie)
- Valdosta State University (#139 tie)
- Columbus State University (#174 tie)
- Kennesaw State University (#200 tie)
- University of North Georgia (#228-299)
School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Georgia
Comparison of Teacher Preparation Programs
We have designed the following table to help you compare teacher preparation programs in Georgia according to various factors. All of the schools included are not-for-profit institutions approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for the preparation of teachers. Completing a state-approved teacher preparation program is an important step towards earning licensure.
While accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is not a requirement for licensure, it is included in the following table as CAEP provides a highly-regarded accreditation that is accepted in many states. Read more about the CAEP, NCATE, and TEAC accrediting bodies. We have also included rankings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a research and policy group that scores teacher preparation programs at the national level using key standards chosen to measure students’ preparation for success in teaching. For further information on the NCTQ’s program rankings, please see the notes below the table.
You will also find data on teacher preparation program enrollment, completion, and licensing exam pass rates by institution for the 2017-2018 academic year in this table. These data points are collected from annual US Department of Education records under Title II (Teacher Quality) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which provides for reporting that holds institutions and state departments of education accountable for increasing academic achievement through improvements in teacher quality.
Programs that are not ranked, or for which data is not available, in a given category are denoted as “–“.
State-Approved School | CAEP Accred.?6 | NCTQ Undergrad Elementary Prog. % (2016)**7 | NCTQ Undergrad Secondary Prog. % (2017)**7 | Teacher Prep Prog. Enrollment8 | Teacher Prep Prog. Completers8 | Licensing Exams Pass Rate8 | Net Price***1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albany State University | Yes | 4% | — | 126 | 64 | 98% | $10,809 |
Augusta University | Yes | 68% | 64% | 261 | 104 | 97% | $13,381 |
Berry College | No | — | — | 70 | 54 | 94% | $26,173 |
Brenau University | Yes | 34% | — | 117 | 25 | 96% | $21,021 |
Brewton-Parker College | No | 34% | — | 15 | 8 | — | $17,676 |
Clark Atlanta University | Yes | 8% | — | 27 | 10 | 100% | $26,809 |
Clayton State University | Yes | — | 20% | 62 | 31 | 100% | $10,232 |
College of Coastal Georgia | Yes | — | — | 77 | 42 | 98% | $11,014 |
Columbus State University | Yes | 45% | — | 365 | 137 | 100% | $11,334 |
Covenant College | No | 79% | — | 36 | 28 | 100% | $23,353 |
Dalton State College | Yes | 7% | — | 215 | 76 | 99% | $5,768 |
Emmanuel College | No | 45% | — | 34 | 21 | 95% | $16,337 |
Fort Valley State University | Yes | — | — | 23 | 16 | 81% | $12,620 |
Georgia College and State University | Yes | 92% | — | 371 | 159 | 100% | $20,055 |
Georgia Gwinnett College | Yes | — | — | 277 | 104 | 99% | $12,348 |
Georgia Southern University | Yes | 60% | — | 835 | 210 | 100% | $16,264 |
Georgia Southwestern State University | Yes | 76% | — | 158 | 69 | 94% | $12,585 |
Georgia State University | Yes | 45% | — | 868 | 254 | 100% | $15,350 |
Gordon State College | Yes | — | 46% | 101 | 28 | 93% | $9,127 |
Kennesaw State University | Yes | — | — | 976 | 333 | 98% | $17,929 |
LaGrange College | No | — | — | 33 | 21 | 100% | $19,916 |
Mercer University | No | 70% | — | 470 | 138 | 100% | $21,268 |
Middle Georgia State University | Yes | 23% | 28% | 91 | 36 | 100% | $9,225 |
Paine College | Yes | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | $16,651 |
Piedmont College | No | — | 67% | 202 | 70 | 100% | $18,708 |
Point University | Yes | — | — | 19 | 4 | — | $18,348 |
Reinhardt University | No | 38% | — | 86 | 47 | 98% | $20,329 |
Savannah State University | No | — | — | 18 | 5 | — | $10,098 |
Shorter University | No | 15% | — | 49 | 19 | 100% | $18,557 |
Spelman College | Yes | — | — | 38 | 11 | 100% | $36,190 |
Thomas University | No | 8% | — | 27 | 5 | — | $22,447 |
Toccoa Falls College | No | — | — | 25 | 11 | 100% | $20,396 |
Truett-McConnell University | No | — | — | 35 | 14 | 100% | $17,257 |
University of Georgia | Yes | 89% | 81% | 1,099 | 432 | 100% | $15,934 |
University of North Georgia | Yes | 4% | — | 484 | 245 | 100% | $10,151 |
University of West Georgia | Yes | 76% | — | 619 | 200 | 100% | $14,351 |
Valdosta State University | Yes | 38% | — | 408 | 177 | 95% | $13,978 |
Wesleyan College | No | 29% | — | 23 | 4 | — | $15,237 |
Young Harris College | No | — | — | 27 | 13 | 100% | $18,761 |
*The NCTQ rated undergraduate elementary teaching programs in 2016 and undergraduate secondary teaching programs in 2017 by national percentile based on their overall scores on the NCTQ’s standards for teacher education. Schools that do not provide data on all key standards or that fall below the top 50% of schools nationally are not included by the NCTQ in their ratings. Visit the NCTQ website for more information on its standards and methodologies.
**Net price is per year for undergraduate tuition as calculated by the National Center for Education Statistics based on the cost of attendance (tuition, books, room and board, and related expenses) for students who qualify for in-state tuition and fees, less the average financial aid award (including grants and scholarships).
Profiles of Schools with an Education Degree Program
Dalton State College: Dalton State’s School of Education in Dalton, Georgia has the mission to prepare teachers that help students reach their full potential, acquire a love for learning, and become productive citizens. It offers programs for attaining initial certification in early childhood education and secondary education. The Post-Baccalaureate Initial Certification Teacher Education program in Early Childhood Education is designed to help individuals with a bachelor’s in another field to transition to a teaching career. Students in the early childhood education program have the option to take ESOL coursework if they would like to add the ESOL endorsement. The Secondary Professional Teacher Education program prepares students to teach in the areas of biology, chemistry, english, history, or mathematics. The programs culminate with a teacher internship that involves 15 weeks in a supervised classroom environment.
Emory University: Emory University in Atlanta is home to the Division of Educational Studies, which is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Division of Educational Studies confers several degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The most popular degree is the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), which is designed to give students a graduate degree along with their initial teaching credentials. The division is comprised of world class faculty members that engage in scholarly research as well as engaging instruction to education students. The Division of Educational Studies offers students an interdisciplinary mixture of coursework from a variety of academic disciplines in order to provide students with a well-rounded educational experience. The Department’s main mission is to continue to reform and improve education with a special emphasis on urban and comparative education issues.
Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Georgia
Albany State University
504 College Dr
Albany, GA 31705
(229) 430-4600
www.asurams.edu
Augusta University (f/k/a Georgia Regents University)
1120 15th St
Augusta, GA 30912
(706) 721-0211
https://www.augusta.edu/

Berry College
2277 Martha Berry Hwy NW
Mount Berry, GA 30149
(706) 232-5374
www.berry.edu
Brenau University
500 Washington St SE
Gainesville, GA 30501-3668
(770) 534-6299
Brewton-Parker College
201 David-Eliza Fountain Cir
Mount Vernon, GA 30445
(912) 583-2241
www.bpc.edu
Clayton State University
2000 Clayton State Blvd
Morrow, GA 30260
(678) 466-4000
www.clayton.edu
Columbus State University
4225 University Ave
Columbus, GA 31907-5645
(706) 507-8800
https://www.columbusstate.edu/

Covenant College
14049 Scenic Hwy
Lookout Mountain, GA 30750-4164
(706) 820-1560
www.covenant.edu
Dalton State College
650 College Dr
Dalton, GA 30720
(706) 272-4436
www.daltonstate.edu
Emmanuel College
181 Springs St
Franklin Springs, GA 30639
(706) 245-7226
Fort Valley State University
1005 State University Dr
Fort Valley, GA 31030-4313
(478) 825-6211
Georgia College & State University
231 W Hancock St
Milledgeville, GA 31061
(478) 445-2770
www.gcsu.edu
Georgia Southern University
Hwy 301 S
Statesboro, GA 30460
(912) 478-5391
https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/



Georgia Southwestern State University
800 Georgia Southwestern State University Dr
Americus, GA 31709-4693
(229) 928-1279
Georgia State University
33 Gilmer St
Atlanta, GA 30303-3083
(404) 413-2000
https://www.gsu.edu/


Kennesaw State University
1000 Chastain Rd
Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591
(770) 423-6000
https://www.kennesaw.edu/


LaGrange College
601 Broad St
Lagrange, GA 30240-2999
(706) 880-8000
www.lagrange.edu
Mercer University
1400 Coleman Avenue
Macon, GA 31207
(478) 301-2700
https://www.mercer.edu/



Middle Georgia State University
100 University Pkwy
Macon, GA 31206
(478) 471-2700
www.mga.edu
North Georgia College & State University
82 College Circle
Dahlonega, GA 30597-1001
(706) 864-1400
www.ngcsu.edu
Oconee Fall Like Technical College*
560 Pinehill Rd
Dublin, GA 31021
(478) 275-6589
www.oftc.edu
Paine College
1235 15th St
Augusta, GA 30901-3182
(706) 821-8200
www.paine.edu
Piedmont College
165 Central Ave
Demorest, GA 30535-0010
(706) 778-3000
www.piedmont.edu
Reinhardt College
7300 Reinhardt College Cir
Waleska, GA 30183-2981
(770) 720-5600
https://www.reinhardt.edu/

Shorter College
315 Shorter Ave
Rome, GA 30165
(706) 291-2121
www.shorter.edu
South Georgia College
100 W College Pk Dr
Douglas, GA 31533-5098
(912) 260-4200
www.sgc.edu
Toccoa Falls College
325 Chapel Dr
Toccoa Falls, GA 30598
(706) 886-6831
www.tfc.edu
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
(706) 542-3000
https://www.uga.edu/



University of West Georgia
1601 Maple St
Carrollton, GA 30118-0001
(678) 839-5000
https://www.westga.edu/

Valdosta State University
1500 N Patterson
Valdosta, GA 31698
(229) 333-5800
www.valdosta.edu
Wesleyan College
4760 Forsyth Rd
Macon, GA 31210-4462
(478) 477-1110
https://www.wesleyancollege.edu/

An asterisk (*) denotes a two-year or certificate program in education. While a two-year degree will not qualify graduates for teacher certification, it can be a good starting point for a teaching career. To learn more about what you can do with this degree, see our guide to associate’s degrees in education.
References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Kiplinger’s Best College Values: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Tile
3. The Princeton Review. The Best 385 Colleges, 2020 Edition. The Princeton Review, 2019.
4. US News & World Report Best Graduate Education Schools 2019: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-education-schools/edu-rankings
5. US News & World Report Best Online Graduate Education Schools 2019: https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/education/rankings
6. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP): http://caepnet.org/provider-search
7. National Council on Teacher Quality Teacher Preparation Program Review: https://www.nctq.org/review/home
8. US Department of Education 2018 Title II Reports: https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx