GCSU stays No. 6 Top School, up to No. 4 Most Innovative in U.S. News' 2025 Best Colleges

G eorgia College & State University, the state's designated public liberal arts university, gained strength among the elite top 20 universities in the Regional South in U.S. News & World Report's 2025 Best Colleges guidebook released today.

2025 Best Colleges

Located in Milledgeville, Georgia, GCSU is one of the three selective admission institutions in the University System of Georgia along with Georgia Tech and The University of Georgia. GCSU enrolled more than 7,100 students this academic year from 150 of Georgia's 159 counties. Students have pursued top undergraduate majors such as Business, Nursing, Education, Psychology, Exercise Science and Communications in the past five years, plus dozens of graduate programs and an unmatched pre-med mentoring pathway to medical school admission.

After moving into U.S. News's Top 20 ranking last year, Georgia College & State University solidified its position with the 2025 rankings. The university ranks sixth in "Top Public Schools, Regional Universities South," maintaining the school's position among the top 10 public universities. Georgia College rose in other categories, reaching No. 4 "Most Innovative Schools" among public and private regional universities in the South. That's a six-point jump from its No. 10 ranking on last year's Most Innovative list.

Small class sizes are a hallmark of the GCSU liberal arts experience.

Among all public and private universities in the Regional South - a category that includes universities in 12 states from Virginia west to Arkansas - Georgia College is ranked No. 15 overall for all Regional Universities South. The university rose from an overall rank of No. 16 in last year's guidebook.

"Being sixth among all public regional universities and among the top 20 of all public or private universities in this wide territory of the South reflects the distinctive experience we offer our students," said GCSU President Cathy Cox. "Our uniquely small class sizes, undergraduate research opportunities, vibrant campus life and exciting NCAA D-II athletics combine for a private college experience at a public-school price."

Georgia College & State University is the only state university within Georgia to make the top 20 as a best public Southern regional university.

For Undergraduate Teaching Programs, Regional South, GCSU rose one spot to fifth overall and is No. 1 among public regional universities in Georgia. To be ranked in this U.S. News category, universities must "have a strong commitment to teaching undergraduates instead of conducting graduate-level research."

Students present during GCSU's annual Research Day.

U.S. News & World Report also ranks GCSU on its list of Best Value Schools at No. 49 in the Regional South and No. 3 among public regional universities in the state.

"These rankings show the world what we already know: Georgia College students benefit from our contemporary liberal arts education and graduate exceptionally well prepared for their careers with skills like critical thinking, problem solving and communication abilities," said Cox. "Interest in Georgia College is at an all-time high. Applications to GCSU have grown 44% since Fall 2022 and the 2024-2025 academic year marks our largest overall enrollment ever."

Georgia College students echoed the sentiments in the rankings report.

"Knowing that my institution is ranked makes me feel very secure about my education. I am quite confident in my ability to transition easily into the work force after graduation," said Marketing major Abbey Ottaway, a senior from Flowery Branch, Ga.

First-year student Fnu "Sam" Samiya, a Data Science major from Pakistan, agrees that rankings like U.S. News & World Report make an impact. "I feel proud to be a part of a university that is not only well-recognized, but also feels like home," Samiya said.

For individual undergraduate programs of study, GCSU ranks as follows in both the regional category and nationally among universities from all categories, including far larger R1 universities:<_o3a_p>

• Business: No. 1 Public Regional South in Georgia, No. 281 nationally<_o3a_p>
• Nursing: No. 2 Public Regional South in Georgia, No. 149 nationally<_o3a_p>
• Psychology: No. 1 Public Regional South in Georgia, No. 293 nationally<_o3a_p>
• Computer Science: No. 1 (tie) Public Regional South in Georgia, Top 500 nationally

Nursing students run an outreach table at GCSU Gives Day.

U.S. News & World Report designates Georgia College & State University as a Regional University. "Regional Universities offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master's programs but few doctoral programs," according to the U.S. News Best Colleges website. "South" is one of U.S. News' four geographic segments and is comprised of 12 southern U.S. states plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

U.S. News publishes the Best Colleges rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with the comparative merits of the undergraduate programs at America's colleges and universities. The rankings offer detailed information of the institutions and data on factors such as outcome measures, including graduation rates, graduate indebtedness and post-graduate earnings.

U.S. News & World Report is a multiplatform distributor of news and information, which publishes annual print and e-book versions of its prestigious rankings of best colleges, best graduate schools and best hospitals. <_o3a_p><_o3a_p>

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