Decatur, Georgia Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for Decatur, Georgia shows: median public in-state tuition $20,950 (+280.1% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $51,130 (-5.9% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 83.5% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $24,807 (+84.7% vs U.S.) 1,737 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 5 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 1,737 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $20,950 (+280.1% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $51,130 (-5.9% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 83.5% (-4.4 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $26,492 (+165.8% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $24,807 (+84.7% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $14,173
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 41.6%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 60.7%
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Overview
EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in Decatur, Georgia—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against Georgia and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Decatur vs Georgia & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, Georgia | $20,950 | $26,492 | $24,807 | 41.6% | 1,737 |
| Georgia (state median) | $4,094 | $9,196 | $16,417 | 40.8% | 427,018 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Decatur, Georgia vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, Georgia | $51,130 | 83.5% | 60.7% | 11.9% | — | 60.9% | 0.51 |
| Georgia (state median) | $47,384 | 87.3% | 70.9% | 7.5% | — | 56.6% | 0.49 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Georgia (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, Georgia | $20,950 | $26,492 | $24,807 | 41.6% | 1,737 | $51,130 | 83.5% |
| Atlanta | $16,044 | $19,509 | $20,903 | 51.0% | 85,633 | $50,136 | 82.5% |
| Athens | $7,420 | $13,936 | $14,886 | 89.7% | 35,655 | $68,726 | 90.4% |
| Savannah | $18,145 | $22,878 | $25,636 | 18.6% | 28,272 | $36,201 | 78.0% |
| Statesboro | $4,278 | $10,904 | $11,750 | 54.9% | 23,610 | $53,236 | 89.1% |
| Lawrenceville | $4,028 | $14,970 | $11,616 | 21.5% | 20,572 | $47,730 | 83.4% |
| Macon | $27,650 | $13,568 | $21,547 | 44.5% | 11,720 | $44,317 | 87.8% |
| Augusta | $11,167 | $16,812 | $11,750 | 31.6% | 10,686 | $40,905 | 88.1% |
| Marietta | $9,288 | $30,296 | $12,498 | 37.9% | 10,363 | $47,397 | 77.8% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Top 10 colleges in Decatur, Georgia by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 70.7%, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 12.5%, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
Top 10 colleges in Decatur, Georgia by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 85.1%, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 81.9%, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
Top 10 most selective colleges in Decatur, Georgia (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 62.2%, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 100.0%, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
Top 10 colleges in Decatur, Georgia by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $67,395, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $32,105, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
Top 10 colleges in Decatur, Georgia by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $88,911, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $63,621, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
Top 10 colleges in Decatur, Georgia by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $42,178, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $41,382, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
Top 10 colleges in Decatur, Georgia by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $50,997, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $44,144, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
Top 10 colleges in Decatur, Georgia by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $56,274, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $45,987, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
Top 10 colleges in Decatur, Georgia by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $127,358, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $69,320, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
Top 10 most affordable colleges in Decatur, Georgia (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $24,754, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
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Rank 2, Net Price, $28,229, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
Top 10 colleges in Decatur, Georgia by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 81.3%, Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 40.0%, DeVry University-Georgia
DeVry University-Georgia
In-state tuition: Decatur, Georgia vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Decatur, Georgia median in-state tuition is $20,950, +280.1% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Decatur, Georgia vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Decatur, Georgia is $24,807 (+84.7% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $14,173.
Median earnings (10 years out): Decatur, Georgia vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Decatur, Georgia center around $51,130 (-5.9% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Decatur, Georgia vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 83.5% at the median Decatur, Georgia campus (-4.4 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Decatur, Georgia median public in-state tuition is $20,950, about +280.1% vs the national median. Versus the Southeast region, tuition is +319.7%.
Median graduate debt is $24,807 (+84.7% above the U.S. median of $13,432). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Decatur, Georgia are $51,130, about -5.9% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 83.5% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (-4.4 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 60.7% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 11.9% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 60.9% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Agnes Scott College (85.1%), DeVry University-Georgia (81.9%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Decatur, Georgia is 41.6% (national institution average about 50.3%).
FAQ
How many colleges are in Decatur?
EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 5 campuses in Decatur, Georgia with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Decatur?
EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in Decatur is $20,950 and median net price is $26,492. For Georgia overall, medians are $4,094 and $9,196; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.
What do graduates earn in Decatur?
EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in Decatur is $51,130 vs $47,384 for Georgia and $54,323 nationally.
What is student debt like for Decatur colleges?
EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in Decatur is $24,807 vs $16,417 for Georgia and $13,432 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Decatur?
EDsmart Data analysis: top campuses on this page include Agnes Scott College (graduation) and Agnes Scott College (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Decatur?
EDsmart Data analysis: among 5 campuses in Decatur, Georgia, 2 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Presbyterian Church (USA) (2).
Sources & related
- Georgia college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON