7 Best Colleges and Universities Near Savannah, GA

The vibrant city of Savannah, GA, displays its cultural and architectural heritage proudly, scattered with green parks, splendid historical buildings, and a lively nightlife not far from the beaches of Tybee Island.

If you're considering studying in or near Savannah, you'll be making a great decision.

Below, we share information about the universities and colleges near Savannah, GA (within an hour's radius) in alphabetical order.

You should be able to find a program and campus lifestyle that fits you best.

Featured Colleges Near Savannah, GA

While the city of Savannah is dominated by its illustrious art school, SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), with a sprawling campus occupying historic buildings across the city, you can find a variety of educational options within an hour of Savannah.

1. College of Coastal Georgia

About an hour down the coast from Savannah, Brunswick, GA, is the home of the public College of Coastal Georgia, which serves just over 3,000 students with a student-to-faculty ratio of 23 to 1.

CCG provides associate and bachelor's degrees.

The school's most-awarded degree fields in recent years have been business, nursing, biology, and psychology.

About one in five students is exclusively enrolled in online coursework.

The College of Coastal Georgia has a decent 58% first-year retention rate; however, the six-year graduation rate of 22% is extremely low and may be cause for concern.

The student demographics are 60% white, 19% African American, and 8% Latino.

Annual tuition and fees are $3,483 for Georgia residents and $10,489 for nonresidents.

However, 94% of students receive grants or scholarships averaging $6,943 a year.

2. Columbia College, Hunter Army Airfield

This private, nonprofit liberal arts and sciences college based in Columbia, Missouri, has established a non-residential branch campus in Fort Stewart, GA, to provide online courses and degree programs to civilians and military learners.

Bachelor's degree fields include accounting & finance; arts & music; business, management & human resources; computer & mathematics; general studies; humanities; marketing & entrepreneurship; nursing & health sciences; and social sciences.

Current military members, their spouses, their dependents, and installation employees can enroll at a tuition of $250 per credit hour.

Financial aid is awarded, but statistics on average award amounts are not available, nor are retention and graduation rates.

3. Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern University is located 46 miles from Savannah in Statesboro, Georgia. This residential public university is part of the University System of Georgia.

The university offers degrees ranging from the associate level to both professional and research-based doctoral degrees.

Serving a student population of 21,979 undergraduates with a student-to-faculty ratio of 22 to 1, Georgia Southern's student demographics are 58% white, 25% African American, and 8% Latino.

Nine percent of students are exclusively enrolled in distance education.

The dominant major fields of study at GSU are business and the health professions, although degree programs are also available throughout the liberal arts and sciences as well as engineering and education.

The university has an admirable 73% retention rate and a 53% six-year graduation rate.

The in-state annual tuition is $6,485, while out-of-state students pay $17,539.

However, 97% of students receive an average of $8,806 in grant and scholarship aid.

4. Savannah College of Art and Design

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private, not-for-profit arts university that is highly esteemed not just in Georgia but globally.

Its diverse demographics include 52% white, 12% African American, 7% Latino, 6% Asian, and 17% international students.

Three out of four students come from out of state.

The most popular majors are animation, interactive technology, video graphics, and special effects, followed by illustration; digital communication & media/multimedia; and cinematography & film/video production.

Offering bachelor's and master's degrees, the majority of programs provide face-to-face instruction.

Only 8% of students are exclusively enrolled in online courses.

Student success and satisfaction are high, with an 81% first-year retention rate and 73% graduation rate.

The SCAD campus is distinctive, as it is scattered throughout the city. Student housing is available.

The undergraduate student population is 13,582 undergraduates, while to student-to-faculty ratio is 20 to 1.

SCAD's annual tuition is $39,605, but 98% of students receive an average of $13,157 in grants and scholarships, and 43% receive an average of $13,317 in student loans.

5. Savannah State University

Savannah State University is a public, residential Historically Black College or University (HBCU) where just under 3000 students are working toward associate, bachelor's (2,740), or master's degrees.

The student-to-faculty ratio is 21 to 1.

Enrollment demographics reflect a student population of 86% African American and 5% Latino students, with a solid 68% retention rate but a somewhat low 28% graduation rate. 13% of students are enrolled exclusively online.

Leading major programs are in the business fields, corrections & criminal justice, liberal arts and sciences, biology (including an unusual marine biology and biological oceanography program), journalism, and engineering.

Tuition is $5,498 in-state and $16,218 for non-residents, though 100% of students receive aid averaging $12,687.

6. Savannah Technical College

Savannah Technical College, part of the public Technical College System of Georgia, is a two-year college that offers more than 45 certificate and associate degree programs.

Serving a student population of 3,642, the college's student-to-faculty ratio is 14 to 1.

Students can earn credentials in fields such as aviation technology, business and professional services, general studies, health care, industrial technology, and manufacturing.

Tuition is $3,042 per year for Georgia residents and $5,442 for non-residents.

All students receive financial aid averaging $6,416 per student. STC has a solid 55% retention rate and 46% graduation rate.

Studying at a two-year college is, for many, a stepping stone to an eventual bachelor's degree.

The school encourages students to transfer their earned general education (core) courses to any University System of Georgia institution.

7. University of South Carolina Beaufort

Located 20 miles across the state line in Bluffton, South Carolina, this small public branch campus of the USC system offers up through master's degrees and serves 2000 undergrads, with a 14 to 1 student-faculty ratio and a healthy 61% retention rate and 38% graduation rate.

Most students graduate in the health professions, business, biology, or psychology. 17% are enrolled exclusively online.

USCB's demographic breakdown is 61% white, 20% African American, and 11% Latino. Annual tuition in-state is $10,730, while the 20% out-of-state student population pays $21,776.

However, 98% of students receive an average of $8,452 in scholarships.

Other Colleges Serving Savannah, GA

For students looking for colleges more than an hour from Savannah, here are some great options.

East Georgia State College - Statesboro

With a branch campus located in Statesboro, 46 miles from Savannah, East Georgia State College is part of the University System of Georgia.

It also awards mostly associate degrees but also bachelor's degrees in nursing. 30% of students are enrolled exclusively online.

The annual tuition is $4,114 for Georgia students and $10,166 for nonresidents. A full 100% of students receive grants or scholarships that average $7,828 a year.

Based on main campus statistics, EGSC has a six-year graduation rate of only 13%, which is a serious concern and needs further investigation before selecting this school.

South University-Savannah

This private, for-profit, multi-state university system offers degree programs from associate to doctoral.

However, it only serves 195 undergraduates.

Two-thirds are students aged 25 and over; 71% enroll exclusively in online courses. 55% of students are African American, 30% white, and 7% Latino.

The tuition of $17,014 is offset by 100% receiving an average of $7,544 in grants and scholarships, while 75% receive student loans averaging $6,630.

Some red flags: The school has a 50% retention rate and an extremely low six-year graduate rate of 14% within six years.

Only 41 bachelor's degrees were granted in 2020-2021.

Strayer University

Strayer University is another private, for-profit, multi-state university system with multiple nonresidential sites in Georgia, of which one is in Savannah.

It offers bachelor's degrees exclusively through distance education programs in business, criminal justice, and information technology.

The warning signs for this school are the almost unheard-of student-faculty ratio of 41 to 1, which may be reflected in the somewhat low 35% retention rate and 29% graduation rate.

Strayer serves a student population mostly over age 24, which is 74% black and 18% white.

To pay the tuition of $13,515, most students receive an average of $6,160 in scholarships, $4,915 in Pell grants, and $9,806 in student loans.

What Is the Biggest School Near Savannah, GA?

The largest college in Savannah itself is Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), which serves 13,582 undergraduate students.

An even larger university 46 miles away is Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, with an undergrad student population of about 22,000 students.

How To Choose the Right College Near Savannah, GA?

Given the wide variety of schools, some considerations should include:

• The size of the school
• Whether it has the academic program you seek
• Whether classes are in-person or online
• The type of campus (e.g., urban, residential, a traditional green campus)
• The racial/ethnic demographics
• The retention and graduation rate
• The faculty-student ratio

Paying for Your Degree Near Savannah, GA

The cost to attend a public college in Georgia is among the lowest in the nation.

Be sure to apply for financial aid, using the FAFSA form, and work closely with a school's financial aid officer to maximize the financial aid you may receive.

You may be eligible for Georgia's HOPE scholarship.

Start Your Degree Near Savannah, GA, Today

Whether you're interested in art and design courses in one of SCAD's many studios or in studying marine biology or journalism at the historically Black Savannah State University, the city has much to offer any student attending college in Savannah, GA.