Georgia Highlands College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Rome, Georgia. It enrolls 4,761 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Open / Online). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
70/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes32
Value84
Affordability67
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Admissions data is not yet reported for Georgia Highlands College.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Georgia Highlands College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $6,928 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$6,928
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
41%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
17%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$3,120
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$10,080
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,360
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,100
Total Cost of Attendance
$13,389
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$5,473
$30,001 – $48,000
$5,989
$48,001 – $75,000
$7,827
$75,001 – $110,000
$10,618
Over $110,000
$12,363
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,75010%percentile
$2,75025%percentile
$12,000Medianpercentile
$9,50075%percentile
$15,14990%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $7,750
↓ $4,250
No Pell $5,500
↓ $6,500
Dependent students $5,500
↓ $6,500
Independent students $9,500
↓ $2,500
Female students $7,000
↓ $5,000
Male students $6,250
↓ $5,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($12,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
17% of full-time students who enrolled at Georgia Highlands College graduate within six years, and 62% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
17%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
62%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Georgia Highlands College earn a median of $43,184 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$43,184
Earning > $25K
69%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$34,900
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$45,600
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$34,400
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$40,600
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$42,500
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $10,700, about 23% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
17.3 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 73% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Georgia Highlands College is home to 4,761 students, a mid-sized community. Some distinctive traits: 41% are first-generation college students, 59% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
4,761
Part-Time
59%
First-Generation
41%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 54.6%2,599
Hispanic 19.9%946
Black 18.1%860
Other 4.5%214
Asian 1.3%64
International 0.9%41
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Georgia Highlands College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Small SuburbRome, Georgia
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
28%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Georgia Highlands College offers
a varied set of programs:
10 distinct programs across
4 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Georgia Highlands College is 20:1, on the higher side.
Student : Faculty
20:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$3,241
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$2.8M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$63,275
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
104 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
38
37%
$70,083
Associate Professors
21
20%
$63,027
Assistant Professors
27
26%
$57,129
Instructors
18
17%
$58,409
Pros & Cons of Georgia Highlands College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Georgia Highlands College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
Low typical debt at graduation
First-gen-friendly student body
Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
Larger class sizes than typical
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for:
Based on the data, Georgia Highlands College is a fit for
families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about Georgia Highlands College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Georgia Highlands College.
How much does Georgia Highlands College cost?
The average net price after aid at Georgia Highlands College is $6,928 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Georgia Highlands College worth it?
Strong return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $43,184 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $6,928 per year. That's roughly 6.2x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Georgia Highlands College known for?
Georgia Highlands College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Nursing, Health Sciences. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Georgia Highlands College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Georgia Highlands College are $43,184, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Georgia Highlands College accredited?
Yes. Georgia Highlands College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Georgia Highlands College?
Georgia Highlands College enrolls 4,761 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Georgia Highlands College?
Georgia Highlands College graduates 17% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Georgia Highlands College a public or private college?
Georgia Highlands College is a Public institution.
Where is Georgia Highlands College located?
Georgia Highlands College is located in Rome, Georgia.
What programs does Georgia Highlands College offer?
Georgia Highlands College offers 10 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Nursing, Health Sciences.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Georgia Highlands College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Georgia Highlands College is 20:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Georgia
Other colleges in Georgia share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
