Best Nursing Schools in Georgia (2026): Rankings and Reviews

Georgia has nearly 30 colleges producing BSN graduates, from one of the most selective nursing schools in the US to large public universities with big intakes. This guide ranks them using official federal data and reviews the top five.

Imagine getting into Emory and a large public university in the same week. One costs about seven times as much in tuition as the other. Knowing what each offers, including what graduates earn, helps you decide whether the difference is worth it.

How we ranked these schools

We used the latest official data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard. We included colleges in Georgia that award a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), and ranked those producing at least 20 BSN graduates a year by their graduation rate. We also show how much their nursing graduates earn and what tuition costs. Graduation rates are for each college as a whole, not nursing students alone.

Georgia nursing schools ranked (2026)

Rank	College	City	Type	Graduation rate	BSN graduates a year	BSN graduates’ median earnings (1 year)	In-state tuition
1	Emory University	Atlanta	Private nonprofit	91%	152	$86,533	$68,056
2	Mercer University	Macon	Private nonprofit	71%	164	$87,827	$43,570
3	Berry College	Mount Berry	Private nonprofit	70%	36	$78,259	$43,086
4	Georgia College & State University	Milledgeville	Public	62%	144	$83,201	$9,176
5	Georgia Southern University	Statesboro	Public	54%	363	$79,675	$6,022
6	Georgia State University	Atlanta	Public	52%	162	$92,462	$8,664
7	Kennesaw State University	Kennesaw	Public	51%	311	$86,532	$5,808
8	Piedmont University	Demorest	Private nonprofit	50%	65	$83,766	$32,760
9	Augusta University	Augusta	Public	48%	162	$82,126	$8,414
10	University of West Georgia	Carrollton	Public	44%	157	$86,868	$6,088
11	Valdosta State University	Valdosta	Public	43%	78	$72,434	$6,124
12	Columbus State University	Columbus	Public	42%	113	$81,797	$5,898
13	Shorter University	Rome	Private nonprofit	41%	26	$81,170	$25,216
14	Reinhardt University	Waleska	Private nonprofit	41%	24	$88,642	$32,700
15	LaGrange College	Lagrange	Private nonprofit	41%	21	$84,325	$36,280
16	Clayton State University	Morrow	Public	39%	38	$86,653	$5,240
17	Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College	Tifton	Public	38%	29	$76,456	$3,268
18	University of North Georgia	Dahlonega	Public	38%	185	$83,462	$5,434
19	Georgia Southwestern State University	Americus	Public	37%	51	$76,685	$5,220
20	Brenau University	Gainesville	Private nonprofit	33%	44	$84,676	$35,520
21	Albany State University	Albany	Public	31%	105	$84,015	$5,666
22	Dalton State College	Dalton	Public	27%	37	$76,488	$3,376
23	College of Coastal Georgia	Brunswick	Public	27%	37	$74,484	$3,616
24	Middle Georgia State University	Macon	Public	26%	126	$72,674	$5,038
25	Georgia Gwinnett College	Lawrenceville	Public	22%	63	$84,082	$4,532
26	Gordon State College	Barnesville	Public	21%	54	$80,957	$3,628
27	Georgia Highlands College	Rome	Public	21%	40	$97,337	$3,216
28	South Georgia State College	Douglas	Public	19%	21	$80,609	$3,410
29	Herzing University-Atlanta	Atlanta	Private nonprofit	16%	78	$81,319	$13,820

Also offering a BSN in Georgia (not ranked: either a comparable graduation rate isn’t reported, often because they mainly enrol transfer, upper-division or adult students, or they’re for-profit career colleges whose college-wide rates aren’t comparable with universities):

College	City	Type	Graduation rate	BSN graduates a year	BSN graduates’ median earnings (1 year)	In-state tuition
South University-Savannah Online	Savannah	Private for-profit	8%	133	$79,957	$18,145
Chamberlain University-Georgia	Sandy Springs	Private for-profit	n/a	436	$89,974	$21,250

Top Georgia nursing schools reviewed

1. Emory University

Emory’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing in Atlanta is one of the most selective nursing schools in the US, with the highest graduation rate in Georgia. Tuition is high, so check its financial aid carefully.

• Graduation rate: 91%, number 1 in Georgia on our list
• Programme size: about 152 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $86,533 one year after graduating
• Cost: $68,056 tuition a year before financial aid
• Acceptance rate: 11% (selective)

2. Mercer University

Mercer’s Georgia Baptist College of Nursing is based on its Atlanta campus and is one of the state’s long-established private nursing schools.

• Graduation rate: 71%, number 2 in Georgia on our list
• Programme size: about 164 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $87,827 one year after graduating
• Cost: $43,570 tuition a year before financial aid
• Acceptance rate: 69%

3. Berry College

Berry College is a small private college near Rome, Georgia, with a smaller nursing programme and a strong campus community.

• Graduation rate: 70%, number 3 in Georgia on our list
• Programme size: about 36 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year, a smaller programme with a more personal feel
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $78,259 one year after graduating
• Cost: $43,086 tuition a year before financial aid
• Acceptance rate: 64%

4. Georgia College & State University

Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville is Georgia’s designated public liberal arts university, offering a well-regarded nursing degree at public tuition.

• Graduation rate: 62%, number 4 in Georgia on our list
• Programme size: about 144 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $83,201 one year after graduating
• Cost: $9,176 in-state tuition ($30,062 out of state)
• Acceptance rate: 78%

5. Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern is a large public university with one of the biggest nursing programmes in the state, producing more than 350 BSN graduates a year.

• Graduation rate: 54%, number 5 in Georgia on our list
• Programme size: about 363 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year, one of the largest in the state
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $79,675 one year after graduating
• Cost: $6,022 in-state tuition ($18,070 out of state)
• Acceptance rate: 88%

Large public universities such as Kennesaw State and Georgia State also produce hundreds of nursing graduates each year at low in-state tuition, and Georgia State’s graduates reported some of the highest first-year earnings in the state.

But is a ranking enough to choose a school?

No ranking can tell you everything. Before you apply, also check:

• NCLEX pass rates: the Georgia Board of Nursing publishes first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates for every approved programme. Look for consistently high rates over several years.
• Accreditation: make sure the BSN is accredited by CCNE or ACEN.
• Getting into the nursing major: many universities admit students as “pre-nursing” first. Ask what share progress into the nursing programme.
• Clinical placements: where students train and how placements are arranged.
• Total cost: use each college’s net price calculator to see your likely cost after financial aid.

Related: US nursing schools with the highest graduation rates

Sources: US Department of Education College Scorecard (accessed November 2026), Georgia Board of Nursing, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Figures change every year; always confirm with the college.