Georgia colleges posted top national and regional finishes in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings, earning recognition for quality, value, teaching and specialized programs.
Emory University led the state at No. 23 among national universities, followed by Georgia Tech at No. 29 and the University of Georgia (UGA) at No. 52, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution breakdown. Emory rose one position and ranked No. 19 for undergraduate teaching and Best Value. Its Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing took the nation’s top undergraduate nursing spot.
Georgia Tech climbed three places overall and reached No. 6 among public universities. Its undergraduate engineering program ranked second nationally, while civil, environmental and industrial engineering each placed first. Tech surged from No. 108 to No. 39 among Best Value Schools.
UGA remained among the nation’s top 20 public universities for an 11th consecutive year, tying for No. 19 in that category.
Spelman College extended one of Georgia’s longest ranking streaks. The Atlanta institution was named the nation’s top historically Black college for the 20th straight year. Spelman ranked No. 34 among national liberal arts colleges and No. 2 for social mobility. Morehouse College placed fourth among historically Black colleges, while Clark Atlanta University tied for 17th.
Other Georgia schools led specialty categories. Agnes Scott College was named the most innovative national liberal arts college for the ninth consecutive year. Berry College ranked first in the South for both value and undergraduate teaching, while Georgia College & State University reached No. 4 among public regional universities in the South and No. 2 for undergraduate teaching.
The rankings evaluated more than 1,700 institutions using up to 17 factors. U.S. News added an earnings-by-major measure, meaning some year-to-year movement may reflect formula changes as well as institutional performance.
