Columbia Country, Georgia

Higher Education

In Columbia County, Higher Education is…

  • Accessible: four area colleges and universities of outstanding quality and variety ensure ample opportunity for your business’s higher education needs:
    • Medical College of Georgia
    • Augusta State University
    • Augusta Technical College
    • Paine College
  • Encouraged: 75% of all high school students in Columbia County take the S.A.T. in a local school system designated as a Georgia Schools of Excellence program.  
  • Valued: 32% of adults in Columbia County have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher – that’s 7.6% above the national average. 87% have earned their high school diploma – that’s 7.5% above than the national average.
  • Business-Friendly: the new Augusta Tech campus in Columbia County’s Horizon South Business Park will be devoted to workforce development through its provision of Georgia Quick Start – a nationally renowned training program. 

Four area colleges and universities serving local citizens and businesses!

Medical College of Georgia

Chartered in 1828 as Georgia’s first medical college, MCG is the state’s only publicly funded medical and dental school.  As an exemplary university & hospital where research grants have increased by 300% over the last decade, MCG is an outstanding resource for not only aspiring healthcare professionals, but for the biotechnical industry.  The Georgia Medical Center Authority, the MCG Life Sciences Business Development Center, and the Augusta BioBusiness Center foster the creation and growth of local biotechnology companies.  With the most well-equipped biotech incubator in the southeast, MCG has helped the area become recognized as part of the “Emerging Bio-Industry South” by Southern Business & Development Magazine (2004).

Augusta State University

ASU is a public metropolitan university with the unique feel of a small liberal arts college.  With its $65 million building program, the University continues to successfully blend its beautiful historic buildings with exciting new educational facilities of the highest technological quality.  Undergraduate and Graduate-level programs are offered in a wide variety of fields, ranging from general Arts & Sciences to Public and Business Administration.  With a faculty of 200, a staff of 300, and a diverse student body of 6,300, Augusta State is a premier State University in east-central Georgia.

Augusta Technical College

As the official provider of the nationally renowned Georgia Quick Start training program for the east-central Georgia region, Augusta Tech is an invaluable resource for local workforce development.  ATC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to provide associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in the field of Applied Technology. Augusta Tech is presently constructing a new, state-of-the-art campus in Columbia County’s Horizon South Business Park

Paine College

As a historic and academically strong African-American school, the mission of Paine College is to provide a liberal arts education of the highest quality that emphasizes academic excellence, ethical & spiritual values, social responsibility, and personal development.  Offering bachelor’s degrees to a diverse student body of roughly 1,000, Paine College is a great asset to the area workforce. 

Major Research Universities

In addition to the four outstanding colleges and universities of the immediate area, Columbia County citizens are within a roughly 2-hour driving distance from several world-class research universities, including

  • The University of Georgia (Athens)
  • The University of South Carolina (Columbia)
  • Emory University (Atlanta)
  • Georgia Tech (Atlanta)
  • Georgia State (Atlanta).  

“In today’s knowledge-based global economy, nothing is more important to companies than the ability to find and employ an increasingly well-educated work force…”

-Bill King, Chief Editor of Expansion Management

By sheer virtue of college experience, a well-educated workforce understands what it takes to survive in a competitive environment and to perform well in high pressure situations.  For this reason, accessibility to quality higher education is essential not only for individuals seeking career advancement, but for businesses who rely on well-educated talent for success in the competitive global economy.