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Businesses at Carrollton, Georgia-01Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Colleges in and near Carrollton

Carrollton is a college town: 20 of every 100 residents are students

The University of West Georgia (6,558 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Georgia, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town20% of residents are studentsUniversity of West Georgia

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Carrollton. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
10,915 students on campus
Nearest college
1 mi
University of West Georgia
Residents in college
20%
Above GA (6%)
Nearest community college
9.5 mi
West Georgia Technical College · $3,410 tuition
Nearest public university
1 mi
University of West Georgia · $6,088 in-state
Students on campus in Carrollton
6,558
next to 27,925 residents

What stands out about college in Carrollton

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town20 of every 100 Carrollton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.A university in CarrolltonThe University of West Georgia has 6,558 students on campus in Carrollton, 43% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of West GeorgiaLiving in Georgia, the University of West Georgia charges $6,088 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $17,800. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 9.5 miles awayWest Georgia Technical College in Waco: tuition and fees $3,410 a year for Georgia residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Carrollton

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

20 of every 100 Carrollton residents are in college (GA: 6).

6,558students on campus at University of West Georgia, next to 27,925 residents (dorm students count as residents)
3,305college students live in Carrollton households rather than dorms
28.3median age · GA 37.6
53%of residents are women · GA 51% (±2.4 points)
59%of homes rented · GA 34%
$1,089median rent · 22% below the state
CarrolltonCarrollton, GA
Cost of living$1,089/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBICHealthCDC estimatesC+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Carrollton’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 24.0% of Carrollton residents are below the poverty line, 19.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 7 points either way). 50% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 20%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health C+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Carrollton’s median age is 28.3 (Georgia 37.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Carrollton

Both are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Carrollton.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of West GeorgiaWest Georgia Technical CollegeCarrollton
University or collegeCommunity college
University of West GeorgiaUniversity or college · Public · 6,558 on campus · In Carrollton52%admitted$13knet price43%graduate$50kearningsWest Georgia Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · 4,357 on campus · 9.5 mi · Waco$2knet price35%graduate$35kearningsTuition and fees: $3,410 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Carrollton’s median household income ($54,379) falls.

West Georgia Technical College9.5 mi · Waco · sticker $11,209 · tuition $3,410$4,394a year
University of West GeorgiaIn Carrollton · sticker $21,981$12,957a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Carrollton: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of West GeorgiaWest Georgia Technical College
University of West Georgia43% graduate$50k earnings$24k typical debt
West Georgia Technical College35% graduate$35k earnings$11k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Carrollton

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at University of West Georgia, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 22%Health professions 16%Psychology 11%Social sciences 11%Education 7%Biology 5%Everything else 28%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing176 graduates a year
$87k4 yrs out
Psychology, General169 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations152 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
Biology, General115 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Journalism102 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Criminology99 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods95 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Marketing89 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Carrollton

Is Carrollton a college town?

Yes. 20 of every 100 Carrollton residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Georgia. The University of West Georgia has 6,558 students on campus, next to 27,925 residents.

What colleges are in Carrollton?

The University of West Georgia is inside the city. West Georgia Technical College is 9.5 miles away in Waco.

Why is Carrollton’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 24.0% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 19.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 7 points).

What is the closest community college to Carrollton, and what does it cost?

West Georgia Technical College in Waco, 9.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,410 a year for Georgia residents; the federal net price, $2,457, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of West Georgia?

The University of West Georgia admitted 52% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 950–1,140 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Carrollton. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →