Dalton State College ranked No.1 in Georgia and Tennessee (tie) in the U.S. News and World Report 2025 Top Public Schools in the South and No. 13 in the region among 131 public and private colleges across 12 states.
The college maintained its ranking for Best Regional Colleges in the South at 41 (tie).
“Dalton State’s ranking as the No. 1 top public college in Georgia and Tennessee is a reflection of the college’s effort to deliver a transformational college experience and graduate an educated workforce ready to be the next leaders in their communities,” said Dr. John Fuchko, III, Dalton State president. “We also have been intentional in serving our broader region by offering in-state tuition and fees to students living in Tennessee.”
The rankings factor in data from multiple categories, such as the amount of debt students acquire obtaining degrees, financial resources available to students, graduation rates and more.
In-state tuition and fees for a Dalton State student taking 15 credit hours is $1,995 a semester. By investing approximately $16,000 in tuition and fees for a bachelor’s degree, graduates from the class of 2023 will earn over $1.4 million more during their lifetimes than they would have without a college degree, according to a study conducted on behalf of the University System of Georgia earlier this year.
Approximately 83% of Dalton State students graduated without student loans during the 2022/2023 academic year. Students have access to a variety of financial resources to assist with the cost of tuition and fees, including HOPE, Zell Miller and Pell grants and scholarships – 78% of students received financial aid during fall 2023.
The college also ranked 48 in the Top Performers on Social Mobility category among regional colleges in the south. Social mobility assesses how well schools graduated economically disadvantaged students. Data factors include graduation rates of Pell Grant recipients, graduation performance of Pell Grant recipients and borrower debt.
The U.S. News and World Report Rankings come shortly after Dalton State ranked No. 2 in the nation as the college most highly recommended by their students and recent alumni and top 10% in the nation for Student Experience by the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Survey.
