Thirteen of the state's public colleges and universities, at 2026-27 prices, for a Georgia student living on campus. Not the published price, which includes money the college never bills you for, and not the price before aid, which almost nobody pays. What is actually left.
Sorted by what is left to pay each year after HOPE. Tap a college for the full breakdown and what borrowing the rest would cost.
| College | Bills a year | After HOPE | After Zell Miller | Four years after HOPE | Housing share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valdosta State University | $17,228 | $11,618 | $11,558 | $46,472 | 58% |
| University of West Georgia | $18,670 | $13,060 | $13,000 | $52,240 | 61% |
| Clayton State University | $18,622 | $13,402 | $13,342 | $53,608 | 66% |
| University of Georgia | $24,068 | $14,034 | $13,934 | $56,136 | 52% |
| Columbus State University | $19,804 | $14,194 | $14,134 | $56,776 | 64% |
| Augusta University | $21,622 | $14,558 | $14,488 | $58,232 | 61% |
| Georgia Southern University | $20,268 | $14,658 | $14,598 | $58,632 | 65% |
| Georgia College and State University | $22,471 | $14,775 | $14,699 | $59,100 | 59% |
| University of North Georgia | $20,870 | $15,140 | $15,080 | $60,560 | 67% |
| Kennesaw State University | $21,296 | $15,596 | $15,536 | $62,384 | 67% |
| Georgia Tech | $26,762 | $16,250 | $16,144 | $65,000 | 55% |
| Georgia Gwinnett College | $21,194 | $17,084 | $17,054 | $68,336 | 75% |
| Georgia State University | $26,920 | $17,740 | $17,650 | $70,960 | 61% |
"Bills a year" is tuition, mandatory fees, and on-campus housing and meals: the part the college actually charges. It leaves out books, travel and personal spending, which the published cost of attendance includes but no college invoices.
Tuition differences between Georgia's public universities are modest, and HOPE and Zell Miller cancel most of them for a student who qualifies. Housing is where the colleges really differ. At Georgia Gwinnett College, housing and meals are 75% of the bill; at University of Georgia, 52%. So a college with low tuition can still leave a larger bill, and a scholarship that "covers tuition" helps least exactly where the bill is largest. A student living at home instead changes every number on this page.
Of the 13 Georgia public colleges and universities compared here, Valdosta State University leaves the least to pay after HOPE: $11,618 a year, or $46,472 over four years, for a Georgia resident living on campus in 2026-27.
No. HOPE and Zell Miller pay toward tuition only, at every Georgia public university. Housing and meals make up between 52% and 75% of what these colleges bill, and none of it is covered.
Between $46,472 at Valdosta State University and $70,960 at Georgia State University, a difference of $24,488 over four years at this year's prices.
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These are 2026-27 figures from each college's own cost pages or, where a college has not published one, its fee schedule or the University System of Georgia's housing and dining rates, for a Georgia resident living on campus, and the current federal loan rules. They are estimates to plan with, not a quote. Colleges change their figures, aid depends on your own circumstances, and your actual bill will differ. Confirm anything you are about to make a decision on with the college's own financial aid office.