College Guide - Atlanta Area Colleges and Universities

BRICK HOUSE: Beautiful brick buildings decorate the Agnes Scott campus. COURTESY AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE

AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE Coming in at No. 11 on the Princeton Review’s “Dorms Like Palaces” list, Agnes Scott’s ivy-league-esque brick buildings (right) have set the backdrop for Scream 2 and offered shelter to such famous alum as Katherine Krill, CEO of Ann Taylor. Founded: 1889; student population: 914; accredited: yes. 141 E. College Ave., Decatur. 404-471-5300. www.agnesscott.edu.

AMERICAN INTERCONTINENTAL UNIVERSITY Based on a British model combining classroom and online courses, AIU offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees geared toward students with busy schedules. Founded: 1970; student population: 2,200 (combined); accredited: on probation. Buckhead campus: 330 Peachtree Road. 404-965-5700. Dunwoody campus: 6600 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, Building 500. 404-965-6500. www.aiuniv.edu.

FROM ONE HAND TO ANOTHER: Professional chefs teach aspiring culinary artists at the Art Institute of Atlanta. COURTESY ART INSTITUTE OF ATLANTA

ART INSTITUTE OF ATLANTA The business-school-turned- art-institute (left) offers four areas of expertise and combines campus-based and online course options. Founded: 1949; student population: 2,694; accredited: yes. 6600 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, Building 10. 770-394-8300. www.artinstitutes.edu.

ATLANTA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE With seven areas of study, the private, four-year college offers bachelor’s degree programs ranging from biblical studies to business. Founded: 1937; student population: 400; accredited: yes. 2605 Ben Hill Road, East Point. 404-761-8861. www.acc.edu.

ATLANTA UNIVERSITY CENTER There is power in numbers; the AUC proves that. The cluster of historically black colleges and universities making up the AUC includes Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College and Morris Brown College. See individual school listings for details.

BAUDER COLLEGE Though it started as a fashion-merchandising college (and boasts successful alum such as Larry Swint, head designer for Signature Apparel Group, which includes Levi’s, Roca Wear and 310), the school has since added degree programs catered to nontraditional students in many fields. Founded: 1964; student population: 823; accredited: yes. 384 Northyards Blvd. 404-237-7573. www.bauder.edu.

BERRY COLLEGE With 28,000 acres, the private, four-year college stands as the world’s largest campus. The school combines comprehensive liberal-arts education with Christian values. Founded: 1902; student population: 2,033; accredited: yes. 2277 Martha Berry Highway, Mount Berry. 706-232-5374. www.berry.edu.

CHATTAHOOCHEE TECHNICAL COLLEGE The college’s student body consists of traditional college-goers and several dual-enrollment high-schoolers looking to get an academic leg up in any of the 27 areas of study the school offers. Founded: 1961; student population: 5,000; accredited: yes. Marietta campus: 980 S. Cobb Drive. 770-528-4545; South Cobb campus: 1578 Veterans Memorial Highway. 770-732-5900; Mountain View campus: 2680 Gordy Parkway. 770-509-6305; Paulding campus: 400 Nathan Dean Blvd. 770-443-3600. www.chattcollege.com.

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY The former stomping ground of Civil Rights activist and minister Ralph Abernathy, Clark Atlanta is the oldest graduate institution to serve a predominantly African-American student body. Founded: 1865; student population: 4,514; accredited: yes. 223 James P. Brawley Drive. 404-880-8000. www.cau.edu.

CLAYTON STATE UNIVERSITY Home to the cultural mecca Spivey Hall, Clayton State has grown substantially as a four-year university, adding many athletic opportunities, most recently indoor track and field, and many academic programs including degrees in math and political science. Founded: 1965; student population: 5,700; accredited: yes. 2000 Clayton State Blvd., Morrow. 678-466-4000. www.clayton.edu.

CREATIVE CIRCUS Copywriters team up with graphic designers and art directors at the two-year school, at which students build portfolios through advertising projects. Founded: 1995; student population: 200; accredited: yes. 812 Lambert Drive. 404-607-8880. www.creativecircus.com.

DEVRY UNIVERSITY A nontraditional university offering fast-track training on seven campuses. Multiple Atlanta area locations. Founded: 1969; student population: 4,349; accredited: yes. 250 N. Arcadia Ave. 404-292-7900. www.devry.edu/about/campus-locations/georgia/decatur.html.

THE MIGHTY OVERSEER: Emory’s clock tower keeps a watch on Emory students and its campus. COURTESY EMORY UNIVERSITY

EMORY UNIVERSITY Emory is its own little town complete with libraries, museums, restaurants, lakes and recreation areas. And that’s just the Druid Hills campus (right) — Oxford College of Emory is a separate, 56-acre campus 38 miles east of Atlanta on the university’s original site. The school is Atlanta’s largest private employer and the alma mater of peanut-farmer-turned-president Jimmy Carter. Founded: 1836; student population: 12,338; accredited: yes. Druid Hills campus: 201 Dowman Drive. 404-727-6123. www.emory.edu; Oxford College of Emory: 100 Hamill St., Oxford. 770-784-8888. www.emory.edu/oxford.

STING OPERATION: Georgia Tech’s mascot Buzz gets fans pumped. COURTESY GEORGIA TECH

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY They may be math geeks, but Georgia Techies are also huge sports fans. Tech, the leading industrial-engineering school and ranked eighth on U.S. News & World Report’s list of public universities, also boasts top-notch football and basketball teams. The school’s popular mascot, Buzz (left) the yellow jacket, along with its 400 downtown acres, draws visitors from around the state for sports, theater and more. Founded: 1885; student population: 17,935; accredited: yes. 225 North Ave. 404-894-2000. www.gatech.edu.

 
GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE With five campuses, GPC is the University System of Georgia’s largest two-year college. Founded: 1958; student population: 19,995; accredited: yes. Decatur: 3251 Panthersville Road. 678-891-2470; Dunwoody: 2101 Womack Road. 770-274-5200; Rockdale/Newton: 239 Cedar Lane, Covington. 770-278-1200; Clarkston: 555 N. Indian Creek Drive. 678-891-3500. www.gpc.edu.

GEORGIA GWINNETT COLLEGE The brand-new four-year liberal-arts college seeks to meet the educational and economic needs of students in an increasingly diverse northeast Atlanta population. Founded: 2005; accredited: no. 1000 University Center Lane, Lawrenceville. 678-407-5313. www.ggc.usg.edu.

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY Originally started as a night business school, the university’s part-time MBA program now ranks among the top 10 in U.S. News and World Report, and its president, Carl V. Patton, is one of the nation’s top 10 highest-paid public university leaders. Now home to many other nationally ranked programs, the campus boasts one of the state’s most diverse student bodies. Founded: 1913; student population: 26,134; accredited: yes. 44 Courtland St. 404-651-2000. www.gsu.edu.

MODERN DAY KENNESAW: Students walk to class where Civil War soldiers once roamed. COURTESY KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY Located near a Civil War battle site, KSU (right) is the University System of Georgia’s third-largest school. Until it collapsed recently, campus visitors could see the “Spaceship Earth” statue by Eino, creator of the “Spirit of the Olympics” statue. Founded: 1963; student population: 20,000; accredited: yes. 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw. 770-423-6000. www.kennesaw.edu.

MERCER UNIVERSITY In 2007, the Princeton Review named Mercer the country’s fifth most beautiful campus. Mercer is the alma mater of two Pulitzer Prize winners, politicians, journalists and CNN’s Nancy Grace. Founded: 1833; student population: 7,049 (combined); accredited: yes. Atlanta: 3001 Mercer University Drive; Macon: 1400 Coleman Ave. 800-637-2378. www.mercer.edu.

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE The historically African-American college was an educational home to Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and now houses some of the icon’s unpublished letters. Founded: 1867; student population: 3,000; accredited: yes. 830 Westview Drive. 404-681-2800. www.morehouse.edu.

MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE Known for its open enrollment policy and generous financial aid, Morris Brown hosted the filming of Stomp the Yard and Drumline in the midst of a public battle for accreditation. Founded in 1881; student population: 2,785; accredited: no. 643 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. 404-739-1010. www.morrisbrown.edu.

PLEASE YOUR EYES: Superior architecture isn’t hard to find at Oglethorpe University. PHOTO CREDIT: JOEFF DAVIS

OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY The university (left) is not only featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for its time capsule, the Crypt of Civilization, but it also inspired Adult Swim’s “Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s” Plutonian alien, Oglethorpe. Oh, and poet Sidney Lanier went there, too. Founded: 1835; student population: 1,043; accredited: yes. 4484 Peachtree Road. 404-261-1441. www.oglethorpe.edu.

PORTFOLIO CENTER One of the first communication-arts schools of its kind, Portfolio Center offers specialized design-and-advertising education. Founded: 1977; student population: 1,036; accredited: no. 125 Bennett St. 404-351-5055. www.portfoliocenter.com.

UP ON THE HILL: SCAD students find urban inspiration right outside their classroom windows. COURTESY SCAD

SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN — ATLANTA SCAD is a fast-paced art school (right) that offers degrees in photography, graphic design, fashion, historic preservation, film and more. Famous alums include Marvel Comics artist Mark Brooks and Grammy-winning R&B singer India.Arie. Founded: 1978; student population: (Atlanta) 950, (total) 7,000; accredited: yes. 1600 Peachtree St. 404-253-2700. www.scad.edu/scadatlanta.

SOUTHERN POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY Southern Poly broke ties with Georgia Tech in the 1970s. Nearly 30 years later it boasts balanced, career-based education programs as an independent four-year university. Founded: 1948; student population: 4,206; accredited: yes. 1100 S. Marietta Parkway, Marietta. 678-915-7778. www.spsu.edu.

FEMALE BONDING: Young women at Spelman work hard toward their degrees just as past Spelman alums have since 1881. COURTESY SPELMAN

SPELMAN COLLEGE Spelman’s primarily female student body (left) follows in the impressive footsteps of such esteemed alums as Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the Color Purple Alice Walker. Founded: 1881; student population: 2,100; accredited: yes. 350 Spelman Lane. 404-681-3643. www.spelman.edu.

THE RED SEA: More than 90,000 fans pack into UGA’s Sanford Stadium on game days. COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA All undergraduates beware the Arch!  Local lore of the United States’ first state-chartered university (right) would have underclassmen believe that those who walk under the cast-iron Arch will not graduate. The state’s largest university is located in Athens, about an hour and a half northeast of Atlanta amid a plethora of coffee shops, bars, clubs, restaurants and music venues. Founded: 1785; student population: 32,510; accredited: yes. Broad Street, Athens. 706-542-4040. www.uga.edu.

For more accreditation information, visit www.sacscoc.org.