SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — For high school seniors and juniors searching for the right university for them can be extremely stressful balancing pros and cons.

WalletHub compared over 800 higher education institutions through cost, graduation rates and career outcomes to relieve this process.

Here is their ranking of the top institutions in Georgia alongside data from various college ranking tools:

Georgia’s top 10 colleges and universities

  1. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus ranked first in graduation rate and post-attendance median salary. Tech fell short in 4-year net cost which on average for in-state is $164,000 and ranked lower in student-faculty ratios.
  2. Emory University was seen to have the best admission rate, graduation rate, and post-attendance median salary. They were seen as average in on-campus crime and one of the worst in net cost, with the 4-year estimated at around $300,000.
  3. The University of Georgia has a high graduation rate and post-attendance median salary and comes with an average 4-year net cost of around $111,784. The Bulldogs fall short in the categories of on-campus crime and gender & racial diversity.
  4. Mercer University ranks high with a 75% acceptance rate and a 67% graduation rate. The four-year net cost for the institution is around $40,890 and also has a low on-campus crime ratio of 196.87 per 10,000 students.
  5. Berry College has a 66% acceptance rate and ranks high for past-attendance median salary and job offers on graduation day. As a private college, the net 4-year cost comes to around $222,000.
  6. Covenant College is a Christian institution that has a high acceptance rate and low on-campus crime. The average net 4-year cost comes to around $208,120 and a 51% graduation rate within 6 years.
  7. Wesleyan College has 62.2% application acceptance with moderate to low on-campus crime. The net 4-year cost comes to around $110,600 and ranks high in student body diversity.
  8. Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville Georgia has a high acceptance rate of 61% and an average 4-year net cost of around $70,952. The school ranks low in on-campus crime but high in student-body diversity.
  9. Oglethorpe University has a very high admission rate at 81% as well as diversity among the student body. Generally a low-cost university the 4-year net cost comes to $59,716 with a slightly above average post-attendance median salary.
  10. Piedmont University with a 67% acceptance rate has a lower net 4-year cost around $79,212 with 100% of students receiving financial aid. This university falls short with a lower post-attendance median salary and a 48% graduation rate.

Throughout 2022-2023, 456,230 undergraduates and 93,143 graduates attended colleges in Georgia.