ATLANTA — From Emory University to the Georgia Institute of Technology to the University of Georgia, the Peach State has a bevy of notable places of higher learning. But, how do the state's colleges compare nationwide? One company decided to find out.
Scholarship platform Bold.org has compiled a ranking of the top states for college students. The company calculated a number of variables to determine their finding. Here are their sources:
- College enrollment and student demographic statistics from EducationData.org
- Average cost of college by state from EducationData.org
- College graduation rates by state in 2022 from World Population Review
- Understanding College Affordability: Pricing and Expenses from the Urban Institute
- The average cost of food in the US from Move.org
Georgia made it into the top ten of the rankings, and the state leading the list is just a little further south.
The graph above features the best and worst states for college students, according to Bold.org.
According to Bold.org, Georgia ranks as the sixth best state in the U.S. for college students, with the Peach State boasting the third highest graduation rate among the top five schools. Florida took the top spot, largely thanks to the state's much cheaper average tuition/fees.
The graph above featured the best and worst states for college students in the categories of cost, graduation rate and student enrollment, according to Bold.org.
While Georgia ranked among the top six states overall, the Peach State did not make an appearance in any of the rankings' three individual categories. The most cost effective state for college students was found to be Wyoming. Massachusetts took the top spot concerning graduation rates. Lastly, California ranked highest for total student enrollment.
A full list of the company's rankings can be found below.
State Rank Students Enrolled Graduation Rate Total Cost
Florida 1 1,066,783 30% $13,603
Texas 2 1,657,691 30% $16,367
Utah 3 381,283 34% $12,676
North Carolina 4 568,563 31% $15,707
Colorado 5 368,123 41% $17,080
Georgia 6 553,755 31% $17,213
California 7 2,715,085 34% $19,372
Washington 8 363,019 36% $17,412
New York 9 1,235,812 37% $21,823
Wisconsin 10 332,856 30% $16,937
Maryland 11 354,913 40% $19,057
Indiana 11 422,906 27% $17,978
Kansas 12 208,538 33% $16,389
Ohio 13 656,445 28% $19,634
Virginia 14 557,063 39% $22,244
Arizona 14 609,144 30% $20,533
Minnesota 15 402,729 36% $20,482
Illinois 15 718,504 35% $23,880
Idaho 15 121,964 28% $13,472
Missouri 16 362,908 29% $18,178
Oklahoma 17 192,656 26% $15,718
Massachusetts 17 492,497 44% $24,894
Tennessee 18 323,086 27% $18,109
New Mexico 18 121,816 27% $14,424
Michigan 18 525,491 29% $21,230
Iowa 19 218,033 29% $17,733
Nevada 20 119,771 25% $14,370
Montana 20 48,066 32% $13,652
New Jersey 21 413,175 40% $25,458
Pennsylvania 22 696,340 31% $25,726
Nebraska 22 135,509 32% $17,245
Wyoming 23 32,373 27% $12,351
North Dakota 23 52,354 30% $14,805
Arkansas 24 158,587 23% $16,376
South Dakota 25 51,941 29% $15,317
Louisiana 25 243,750 24% $18,252
Alabama 25 303,030 26% $19,323
Oregon 26 225,716 34% $21,395
Kentucky 27 266,507 24% $19,516
West Virginia 28 139,159 21% $17,323
Mississippi 28 166,969 22% $17,953
Connecticut 28 193,686 39% $23,534
Maine 29 71,658 32% $18,390
South Carolina 30 241,572 28% $22,022
New Hampshire 31 169,338 37% $25,164
Hawaii 32 60,434 33% $20,876
Alaska 33 23,353 30% $18,476
Delaware 34 59,983 32% $21,773
Rhode Island 35 80,077 34% $23,969
Vermont 36 41,186 38% $28,756