There are 171 colleges in Georgia - 65 public and 106 private schools. At Georgia colleges, over the past decade, the Cost of Attendance (COA)—covering tuition, fees, textbooks, room and board, and living expenses—has sharply increased, making higher education less affordable for many students and families.
Georgia Colleges Key COA Trends (2016-2025)
The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially at Georgia colleges:
- On-Campus: The COA has risen by 17.71%.
- Off-Campus: The COA has risen by 18.77%.
- 2024-2025 Total COA: the average total COA is $34,809 when living on campus and $35,168 when living off campus.
Georgia Colleges Tuition & Fees Changes
Tuition and fees saw dramatic increases across institution types:
| Institution Type |
10-Year Increase (2016-2025) |
2025 Average Tuition & Fees |
| Public, In-State |
4.43% (from $5,578 to $5,825) |
$5,825 |
| Public, Out-of-State |
10.23% (from $15,263 to $16,824) |
$16,824 |
| Private Colleges |
16.28% (from $20,390 to $23,710) |
$23,710 |
Note on Degrees: Undergraduate tuition & fees increased by 10.23%, while graduate program tuition & fees increased by 3.82% over the same period.
Living and Other Costs
Living Costs (Room & Board, Other Expenses):
- At Georgia colleges, living costs increased by 29.21% for on-campus and 31.59% for off-campus.
- The average living cost for 2024-2025 is $16,706 (on-campus) and $17,065 (off-campus).
Books & Supplies:
- Books and supplies costs have remained relatively stable (-7.25%), with the average cost for 2024-2025 being $1,279.
COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends
Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 17.71% when living on campus and 18.77% when living off campus at Georgia Colleges.
In private Georgia Colleges, the COA has increase by 20.17% (on-campus) and 21.06% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the total cost of attendance is $34,809 when a student lives on campus and $35,168 when living off campus at Georgia Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for Georgia Colleges over the past 10 years.
COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends of Georgia Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools |
|---|
| 2015-16 |
$19,886 | $29,571 | $34,698 | $19,925 | $29,610 | $34,737 |
|---|
| 2016-17 |
$20,236
1.76% | $29,515
-0.19% | $36,067
3.95% | $20,045
0.60% | $29,324
-0.97% | $35,876
3.28% |
|---|
| 2017-18 |
$20,832
2.95% | $30,951
4.87% | $36,148
0.22% | $20,527
2.40% | $30,646
4.51% | $35,843
-0.09% |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
$21,173
1.64% | $28,680
-7.34% | $35,527
-1.72% | $20,862
1.63% | $28,369
-7.43% | $35,216
-1.75% |
|---|
| 2019-20 |
$21,594
1.99% | $29,107
1.49% | $36,119
1.67% | $21,209
1.66% | $28,722
1.24% | $35,734
1.47% |
|---|
| 2020-21 |
$22,500
4.20% | $28,162
-3.25% | $36,712
1.64% | $22,086
4.14% | $27,748
-3.39% | $36,298
1.58% |
|---|
| 2021-22 |
$22,201
-1.33% | $29,656
5.31% | $37,384
1.83% | $21,681
-1.83% | $29,136
5.00% | $36,864
1.56% |
|---|
| 2022-23 |
$22,408
0.93% | $29,617
-0.13% | $38,329
2.53% | $22,242
2.59% | $29,451
1.08% | $38,163
3.52% |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
$23,492
4.84% | $31,033
4.78% | $39,358
2.68% | $23,946
7.66% | $31,487
6.91% | $39,812
4.32% |
|---|
| 2024-25 |
$23,810
1.35% | $34,809
12.17% | $41,695
5.94% | $24,169
0.93% | $35,168
11.69% | $42,054
5.63% |
|---|
Tuition & Fees Changes
For the current year (2025), the average tuition & fees for Georgia Colleges is $6,991 for Georgia residents and $17,990 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $24,901.
For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees is $8,585 for Georgia residents and $21,505 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $16,869.
The tuition & fees has increased 10.23% for undergraduate programs and 3.82% for graduate programs at Georgia Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.
Tuition & Fees Changes for Georgia Colleges
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools |
|---|
| 2015-16 |
$5,578 | $15,263 | $20,390 | $7,300 | $19,427 | $16,058 |
|---|
| 2016-17 |
$5,576
-0.04% | $14,855
-2.67% | $21,407
4.99% | $7,228
-0.99% | $18,150
-6.57% | $16,118
0.37% |
|---|
| 2017-18 |
$5,816
4.30% | $15,935
7.27% | $21,132
-1.28% | $7,292
0.89% | $19,418
6.99% | $15,613
-3.13% |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
$6,037
3.80% | $13,544
-15.00% | $20,391
-3.51% | $7,404
1.54% | $19,578
0.82% | $16,136
3.35% |
|---|
| 2019-20 |
$6,057
0.33% | $13,570
0.19% | $20,582
0.94% | $7,392
-0.16% | $19,088
-2.50% | $16,246
0.68% |
|---|
| 2020-21 |
$6,619
9.28% | $12,281
-9.50% | $20,831
1.21% | $7,480
1.19% | $19,345
1.35% | $16,145
-0.62% |
|---|
| 2021-22 |
$6,094
-7.93% | $13,549
10.32% | $21,277
2.14% | $7,489
0.12% | $19,275
-0.36% | $16,270
0.77% |
|---|
| 2022-23 |
$5,906
-3.09% | $13,115
-3.20% | $21,827
2.58% | $7,022
-6.24% | $19,975
3.63% | $16,573
1.86% |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
$6,251
5.84% | $13,792
5.16% | $22,117
1.33% | $6,964
-0.83% | $19,012
-4.82% | $16,332
-1.45% |
|---|
| 2024-25 |
$5,825
-6.81% | $16,824
21.98% | $23,710
7.20% | $7,250
4.11% | $20,170
6.09% | $15,990
-2.09% |
|---|
Books & Supplies Costs Changes
For the current year (2025), the average book & supplies costs is $1,279 for Georgia Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2016 to 2025.
Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Georgia Colleges
| Year | Books & Supplies |
|---|
| 2015-16 | $1,379 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | $1,342
-2.68% |
|---|
| 2017-18 | $1,343
0.07% |
|---|
| 2018-19 | $1,254
-6.63% |
|---|
| 2019-20 | $1,301
3.75% |
|---|
| 2020-21 | $1,287
-1.08% |
|---|
| 2021-22 | $1,244
-3.34% |
|---|
| 2022-23 | $1,196
-3.86% |
|---|
| 2023-24 | $1,216
1.67% |
|---|
| 2024-25 | $1,279
5.18% |
|---|
Living Costs Changes
For Georgia Colleges, the living have increased 20.80% when a student lives on campus facilities and 22.83% when living off campus from year 2016 to 2025. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.
Living Costs Changes for Georgia Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| 2015-16 | $12,929 | $13,761 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | $13,318
3.62% | $14,006
2.96% |
|---|
| 2017-18 | $13,673
1.86% | $14,134
3.31% |
|---|
| 2018-19 | $13,882
2.36% | $14,675
-1.12% |
|---|
| 2019-20 | $14,236
3.61% | $15,148
1.92% |
|---|
| 2020-21 | $14,594
1.95% | $15,778
-1.03% |
|---|
| 2021-22 | $14,863
1.54% | $15,748
3.91% |
|---|
| 2022-23 | $15,306
2.79% | $16,369
5.05% |
|---|
| 2023-24 | $16,025
4.52% | $17,496
7.19% |
|---|
| 2024-25 | $16,706
4.81% | $17,563
10.10% |
|---|