Georgia
Student Access & Success
Georgia’s four-year institutions rank above average on retention rate and the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants, but below average on credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates and completion rate. The state’s two-year institutions are national leaders in the percentage of Pell recipients and above average in credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates and completion rate, but below average in retention rate.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Georgia receives very good grades in this area, with both four- and two-year costs per completion ($53,897 and $39,540, respectively) ranking in the top five of all states and strong scores for state and local funding per completion for both sectors ($40,748 for four-years and $20,262 for two-years).
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Georgia bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $20,800 (or 69%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 4.5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $9,500 (or 32%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 3 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Georgia receives below average scores for its consumer information and public accountability resources. The state does not track student labor market outcomes. However, it does measure student learning outcomes, most recently with a new core curriculum that requires all University System of Georgia (USG) institutions to develop learning outcomes assessments on general education subjects.
Policy Environment
While the state’s 2010 strategic plan for higher education has a list of state goals, including student learning outcomes, Georgia scores low marks in this area. The state’s articulation policy allows a block credit transfer of general education classes from two-year to four-year institutions within the USG system, but only if the students do not change majors. Georgia does not have an outcomes- based funding system.
Innovation
Georgia’s “ONmyLINE” system is a quality online portal that provides access to a range of courses and degree programs, and its E-Core initiative allows students to take all of their general education credits online. Regarding regulating new providers, Georgia has a highly restrictive regulatory environment, with significant financial and approval process burdens, resulting in a very low grade.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
GA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 38.5 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 79.9 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 51.0 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 18.1 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America | * |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | B |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $53,897 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $40,748 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $64,923 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 4 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $20,820 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 169.4 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $16,180 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 163.9 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 7.0 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.3 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | true | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 1 |
Two-Year Institutions
GA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 70.4 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 54.8 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 22.0 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 17.6 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | A |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $39,540 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $20,262 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $31,342 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 5 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $9,499 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 131.7 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $5,680 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 122.4 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 4.6 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.59 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | F |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | true | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 1 |
State
GA Nat'l| Policy Environment | D |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | false | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | F |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 54% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 60% | |
| Financial Burden | 53% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 50% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | A |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 100.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 7 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 20
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 46
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 171,772
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 165,769