Education in Georgia

Education in Georgia embraces new ideas to deliver the best, most progressive practices in learning. Businesses in Georgia find a solid educational system that serves their employees' children today and develops a well-prepared workforce for tomorrow.
It all begins with the state's early childhood education program, rated one of the most successful in the nation by Education Week. In 1993, Georgia became the first state to offer its residents universal Pre-K, a program that studies have shown increases graduation rates, lowers welfare dependency and reduces incarceration rates. More than one million children have completed Georgia's free Pre-K program since it began.

At the K-12 level, Georgia has paved the way for new approaches to education. The state enables entire school systems, as well as individual schools, to obtain charter status so that they can determine how best to serve their communities. Georgia has 111 charter schools, and many more within Georgia's 28 charter school systems.

A $400 million Race to the Top grant has enabled continued innovation and reform in 26 school districts that partnered with the state. These districts – and the state as a whole – have seen new initiatives aimed at better preparing students for college and the workplace.

Already, Georgia schools have made important achievements, including:

  • Georgia ranks 1st in the U.S. in connecting the K-12 education system with early learning, higher education, and the world of work, according to Education Week.
  • The state ranks 17th in the nation for K-12 achievement (Education Week).
  • Georgia has adopted the new, national Common Core State Standards for math and language arts, which establish clear and consistent learning goals across all schools.
  • Gifted and talented education is a required offering in all school systems, and the systems receive state allocations to support gifted services.
  • Middle schools and high schools offer career and technical education to better prepare non-college track students for jobs.
  • The state's Career Pathways initiative helps high school students connect school with the world of work by providing relevant, hands-on learning.
  • Continuing education through public universities, with courses and certifications available in a variety of disciplines, from technology to management, and enterprise innovation to foreign language.