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Decatur SquarePhoto: Lincolnh · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Decatur

Decatur is home to two colleges, with 1,179 students on campus

Agnes Scott College (1,046 students on campus) and Columbia Theological Seminary (133) are inside the city, and Emory University (14,248) is 2.2 miles from the center, just over the line in Atlanta. About 6% of Decatur’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Georgia (6%).

Agnes Scott CollegeEmory UniversityGeorgia Piedmont Technical College

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 Decatur. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
27
106,377 students on campus
Nearest college
0.1 mi
Agnes Scott College
Residents in college
6%
About the same as GA (6%)
Nearest community college
3.8 mi
Georgia Piedmont Technical College · $3,386 tuition
Nearest public university
5.4 mi
Georgia State · $8,664 in-state
Median household income
$139K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Decatur

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

Three colleges within 3.8 milesAgnes Scott College admits 62% of applicants; Emory University admits 11%. Together they have 17,024 students on campus.A community college 3.8 miles awayGeorgia Piedmont Technical College in Clarkston: tuition and fees $3,386 a year for Georgia residents.In-state price at Georgia StateLiving in Georgia, Georgia State University charges $8,664 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $24,840. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 6% of residentsAbout the same as Georgia (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Decatur

20 private colleges within 14.9 miles, four public colleges within 12.4 miles, and four community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miGeorgia StateGeorgia Institute of TechnologyEmory UniversityDecatur
University or collegeCommunity college
Agnes Scott CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,046 on campus · In Decatur62%admitted$25knet price71%graduate$56kearningsColumbia Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 133 on campus · In DecaturGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Emory UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 14,248 on campus · 2.2 mi · Atlanta11%admitted$23knet price91%graduate$80kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Georgia Piedmont Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · 1,730 on campus · 3.8 mi · Clarkston$14knet price44%graduate$35kearningsTuition and fees: $3,386 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Beulah Heights UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 215 on campus · 4.3 mi · Atlanta33%graduate$35kearningsAtlanta's John Marshall Law SchoolUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 350 on campus · 5.2 mi · AtlantaGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Georgia State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 30,368 on campus · 5.4 mi · Atlanta55%admitted$16knet price53%graduate$47kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Georgia State University-Perimeter CollegeCommunity college · Public · 9,537 on campus · 5.4 mi · Atlanta91%admitted$11knet price22%graduate$47kearningsTuition and fees: $3,104 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Earnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Herzing University-AtlantaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 268 on campus · 5.4 mi · Atlanta · mostly online94%admitted$22knet price14%graduate$37kearnings52% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Earnings are reported for all 11 campuses that file with it.Georgia Institute of TechnologyUniversity or college · Public · 27,011 on campus · 5.7 mi · Atlanta14%admitted$12knet price94%graduate$103kearningsMorris Brown CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 112 on campus · 6.5 mi · Atlanta · mostly online$25knet price25%graduate67% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Clark Atlanta UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,990 on campus · 6.9 mi · Atlanta64%admitted$38knet price49%graduate$43kearningsSpelman CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,585 on campus · 6.9 mi · Atlanta25%admitted$39knet price78%graduate$60kearningsMorehouse School of MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 746 on campus · 6.9 mi · AtlantaGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Morehouse CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,425 on campus · 7.1 mi · Atlanta44%admitted$39knet price59%graduate$53kearningsAtlanta Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · 2,157 on campus · 7.5 mi · Atlanta$-1knet price49%graduate$30kearningsTuition and fees: $3,382 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Oglethorpe UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,521 on campus · 7.5 mi · Atlanta88%admitted$20knet price54%graduate$55kearningsAtlanta Metropolitan State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · 667 on campus · 7.6 mi · Atlanta · mostly online$5knet price17%graduate$33kearnings57% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Gupton Jones College of Funeral ServiceCommunity college · Private nonprofit · 187 on campus · 7.9 mi · Decatur · mostly online$29knet price75%graduate$43kearnings59% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Tuition and fees: $20,950 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Interactive College of Technology-ChambleeUniversity or college · For-profit · 529 on campus · 8 mi · Chamblee$16knet price37%graduate$27kearningsEarnings are reported for all 4 campuses that file with it.Chamberlain University-GeorgiaUniversity or college · For-profit · 1,383 on campus · 10.3 mi · Sandy Springs91%admitted$33knet price50%graduate$92kearningsEarnings are reported for all 15 campuses that file with it.Clayton State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 3,593 on campus · 12.4 mi · Morrow68%admitted$8knet price40%graduate$49kearningsGwinnett College-Sandy SpringsUniversity or college · For-profit · 114 on campus · 12.5 mi · Sandy Springs$34knet price67%graduate$31kearningsGwinnett College-LilburnUniversity or college · For-profit · 132 on campus · 13.4 mi · Lilburn$30knet price58%graduate$31kearningsInteractive College of Technology-MorrowUniversity or college · For-profit · 113 on campus · 14 mi · Morrow$17knet price41%graduate$27kearningsEarnings are reported for all 4 campuses that file with it.Lincoln College of Technology-MariettaUniversity or college · For-profit · 438 on campus · 14.2 mi · Marietta$31knet price64%graduate$32kearningsEarnings are reported for all 6 campuses that file with it.Aviation Institute of Maintenance-AtlantaUniversity or college · For-profit · 779 on campus · 14.9 mi · Duluth$27knet price46%graduate$48kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.

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 Over $110k, where Decatur’s median household income ($139,397) falls.

Atlanta Technical College7.5 mi · Atlanta · sticker $9,197 · tuition $3,382$7,293a year
Atlanta Metropolitan State College7.6 mi · Atlanta · mostly online · sticker $11,740$11,740a year
Clayton State University12.4 mi · Morrow · sticker $17,415$14,161a year
Georgia State University-Perimeter College5.4 mi · Atlanta · sticker $17,608 · tuition $3,104$16,785a year
Georgia Institute of Technology5.7 mi · Atlanta · sticker $28,167$17,396a year
Georgia State University5.4 mi · Atlanta · sticker $28,241$20,305a year
Oglethorpe University7.5 mi · Atlanta · sticker $60,581$22,055a year
Morris Brown College6.5 mi · Atlanta · mostly online · sticker $31,968$28,568a year
Agnes Scott CollegeIn Decatur · sticker $63,283$30,054a year
Lincoln College of Technology-Marietta14.2 mi · Marietta · sticker $35,543$35,401a year
Chamberlain University-Georgia10.3 mi · Sandy Springs · sticker $38,272$38,272a year
Clark Atlanta University6.9 mi · Atlanta · sticker $43,676$38,680a year
Morehouse College7.1 mi · Atlanta · sticker $51,433$42,723a year
Spelman College6.9 mi · Atlanta · sticker $50,952$44,529a year
Emory University2.2 mi · Atlanta · sticker $83,622$53,018a year
Georgia Piedmont Technical College3.8 mi · Clarkston · sticker $21,274 · tuition $3,386—a year
Herzing University-Atlanta5.4 mi · Atlanta · mostly online · sticker $27,007—a year
Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service7.9 mi · Decatur · mostly online · sticker $31,921 · tuition $20,950—a year
Interactive College of Technology-Chamblee8 mi · Chamblee · sticker $22,064—a year
Gwinnett College-Sandy Springs12.5 mi · Sandy Springs · sticker $37,004—a year
Gwinnett College-Lilburn13.4 mi · Lilburn · sticker $37,077—a year
Interactive College of Technology-Morrow14 mi · Morrow · sticker $22,961—a year
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Atlanta14.9 mi · Duluth · sticker $32,167—a 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 Decatur: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k$120k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Emory UniversityGeorgia StateGeorgia State University-Perimeter CollegeGeorgia Institute of TechnologyClark Atlanta UniversityClayton State
Georgia State University53% graduate$47k earnings*$21k typical debt
Georgia Institute of Technology94% graduate$103k earnings$22k typical debt
Emory University91% graduate$80k earnings*$18k typical debt
Georgia State University-Perimeter College22% graduate$47k earnings*$21k typical debt
Clark Atlanta University49% graduate$43k earnings$27k typical debt
Clayton State University40% graduate$49k earnings$26k typical debt
Spelman College78% graduate$60k earnings$25k typical debt
Morehouse College59% graduate$53k earnings$25k typical debt
Atlanta Technical College49% graduate$30k earnings$10k typical debt
Georgia Piedmont Technical College44% graduate$35k earnings$13k typical debt
Oglethorpe University54% graduate$55k earnings$25k typical debt
Chamberlain University-Georgia50% graduate$92k earnings*$21k 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. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Emory University (2); Georgia State (2); Georgia State University-Perimeter College (2); Herzing University-Atlanta (11); Interactive College of Technology-Chamblee (4); Chamberlain University-Georgia (15); Interactive College of Technology-Morrow (4); Lincoln College of Technology-Marietta (6); Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Atlanta (2).

Majors

What students study in Decatur

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Agnes Scott College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Psychology 15%Social sciences 15%Biology 15%English 14%Business 8%Physical sciences 6%Everything else 27%

Biggest programs

Public Health19 graduates a year
$64k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government14 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
Fine and Studio Arts10 graduates a year
$41k4 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 Decatur

Is Decatur a college town?

No. About 6 of every 100 Decatur residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Georgia (6). The largest campus in the city, Agnes Scott College, has 1,046 students on campus.

What colleges are in Decatur?

Agnes Scott College and Columbia Theological Seminary are inside the city. Emory University is 2.2 miles from the center, in Atlanta, and Georgia Piedmont Technical College is 3.8 miles from the center, in Clarkston.

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

Georgia Piedmont Technical College in Clarkston, 3.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,386 a year for Georgia residents; the federal net price, $13,761, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Georgia State University cost if we live in Georgia?

Tuition and fees are $8,664 a year in-state and $24,840 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $13,787 (under $30,000 income) to $20,305 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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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 Decatur. 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 →