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Higher Education
In Meriwether, you can go far in your education without going far from home.
More than a dozen colleges and universities are located within a two and a half hour drive of Meriwether County, including:
University of West Georgia: Over the past decade, the University of West Georgia has been recognized repeatedly by The Princeton Review as one of its “Best Southeastern Colleges.” Certainly, the numbers are impressive: For its more than 11,500 students, West Georgia offers 106 programs of study including 55 at the Bachelor's level, 36 at the Master's and Specialist levels, three at the Doctoral level and 12 at the Certificate level. But at West Georgia students find more than numbers; they also find a great mix of tradition and innovation. West Georgia is the kind of place where classicists are inspired to quiet awe by the world’s only hand-painted replica of the Bayeux Tapestry which adorns the Art Department, while sports fans can rev to a fever pitch at two blockbuster athletic facilities built in 2009: a stadium seating over 9,500 and a $24 million Coliseum indoor arena where more than 6,500 spectators come to cheer NCAA Division II volleyball and basketball.
Georgia State University: In September 2014 “Best Colleges and Universities,” Georgia State is ranked 6th among “up and coming” national universities and 14th among the country’s most diverse institutions. The school has an enrollment of more than 32,000 students in schools that include arts and sciences, nursing, law, public policy and business. Georgia State’s active global engagement includes academic programs on five continents, study abroad programs in 27 countries and exchange programs in 10 countries. This Division I athletics school is also tackling important research in the laboratory with a $150 million science center opened in 2010 and specialized research centers focused on health care and quality of life. In 2013, the university’s research grants and contracts totaled over $71 million.
University of Georgia: The University of Georgia was founded in 1785 as our fledgling nation’s very first state-supported college. Today, that first school is still among America’s best, accorded a top ranking by U.S. News & World Report (21st among public universities) and Kiplinger Magazine (15th in the 2013 list of “100 Best Values in Public Colleges.”) At UG’s main and satellite campuses, more than 34,500 students are working toward 22 different Baccalaureate degrees in 140 fields; the school offers 35 Master’s degree programs in 137 fields; a Specialist in Education degree in 19 major fields and 5 Doctoral degrees in 96 areas. Professional schools include Law, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine. The UG Library is considered one of the nation’s top academic libraries, a world-class repository of rare manuscripts and maps. And in the roll call of major scholarships—from Rhodes to Truman to Goldwater—UGA is a national leader. The Chronicle of Higher Education recognizes UGA is a top producer of Fulbright scholars.
