Public
Accredited · Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Rome, Georgia
Georgia Highlands College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
3.02Avg GPA
$12,829Annual Cost
$43,184Grad Salary
39.4%Pell Grant
Avg GPA
3.02
Selectivity
Open Enrollment
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
SAT Middle 50%
-40–30
Avg Net Price
$6,588
Need-Based Aid
39.4% receive Pell
Georgia Highlands College GA Georgia Highlands College serves students through transfer education, associate degrees, and selected bachelor's programs. The institution focuses on affordability, accessibility, and helping students successfully transition into four-year degree programs.\n\nStudents benefit from small class sizes, strong academic support services, and pathways into the University System of Georgia. The college is particularly attractive to students seeking a lower-cost entry into higher education.
Georgia Highlands College Acceptance Rate
Georgia Highlands College (GHC) runs an open-access admission policy — with a 100% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in — worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Open Enrollment
Selectivity scale: Open Enrollment — rate not reported
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Slightly below-average GPA? A strong test score or clear leadership track record can still keep you competitive.
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.02 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
2.82 – 3.01
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.57
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
GHC GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at GHC is 3.02. That makes admissions here moderately selective. Most admitted students carry a blend of A's, B's, and the occasional C.
A stronger SAT or ACT score can comfortably offset a GPA on the lower end of this range.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently — for an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.22–3.42.GHC GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Holistic review is critical for admission.
Recommended Strategy: Requires Contextual Factors (Leadership, hardship, or talent).
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.02 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
2.82 – 3.01
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.62 – 2.81
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.61
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- General admission is open and non-selective (~100% acceptance, rolling deadline around July 28), but Nursing (ASN) and Dental Hygiene are separately competitive programs layered on top of general acceptance.
- ASN Traditional applications are only accepted January 1?April 1; requires a minimum 2.5 GPA across nine specific gen-ed prerequisite courses and a minimum TEAS composite score of 70, with a maximum of four TEAS attempts per cycle.
- An active CNA license adds 100 bonus points to the nursing admission score; other healthcare credentials (CMA, LPN, Paramedic) do not carry this bonus.
- The nursing admissions committee meets in mid-May, and spring-semester transfer or current grades are explicitly not counted in that cycle's admission score.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at GHC
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Georgia Highlands College's verified institutional data
--%
Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
⚠️ Note: Predicting based on regional averages as this institution does not publicly report full score datasets.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Georgia Highlands College (GHC) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if GHC is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into GHC Without SAT or ACT?
GHC's test-score policy isn't published. As a default, submit your score only if it's at or above the state/national average — a below-average score can work against you.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for GHC
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
GHC's open-access model means the real strategic decisions happen after enrollment: course planning, advising, and whether to transfer later.
Treat the Nursing (ASN) application window as a hard, separate cycle
General admission to Georgia Highlands is open and non-selective, but the Traditional ASN nursing program only accepts applications from January 1 through April 1 each year, and admission to the college itself is only step one of a three-step process: college admission, submission of all required documentation, and finally acceptance into the nursing program itself. You'll need a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA specifically across the nine general-education prerequisite courses (not your overall GPA) and a minimum TEAS composite score of 70, with no more than four attempts allowed within a single application cycle. Because meeting these minimums doesn't guarantee a seat - admission is ranked and competitive within the pool of qualified applicants - students should aim meaningfully above the 2.5/70 floor rather than treating them as sufficient targets. Build your general-education schedule so all nine prerequisites are complete, with final grades posted, well before the April 1 cutoff.
Know exactly which credentials move the needle in the nursing scoring formula
Georgia Highlands' nursing admission score has a specific, quantifiable bonus: applicants with an active CNA (Certified Nurse Aide) license receive 100 extra points added to their admission score. This is a meaningful, describable lever - a student deciding between spending a summer earning a CNA certification versus another extracurricular should understand this translates directly into ranked admission points. Critically, other adjacent healthcare credentials do not carry the same weight: a CMA (Certified Medical Assistant), LPN, or paramedic license does not trigger the 100-point bonus, so students shouldn't assume any healthcare certification counts equally. If a student is genuinely torn between certifications to pursue before applying, CNA is the one with documented, direct impact on GHC's nursing admission score specifically.
Watch the mid-May decision timing if you're transferring in with spring grades
The nursing admissions committee meets in mid-May to finalize admission scores and decisions - but Georgia Highlands explicitly states that no spring-semester transfer grades are used in the nursing admission score, because there simply isn't time for official transcripts reflecting spring coursework to arrive and be evaluated before the committee convenes. This means a transfer applicant who is counting on a strong final semester of prerequisite grades to boost a borderline GPA will find those grades arrive too late to matter for that cycle's decision. Plan prerequisite coursework so your strongest, most complete academic record is already on file well before spring semester of your application year - don't bank on a last-semester improvement.
Confirm which campus your program track runs on before committing
Georgia Highlands operates across multiple sites, and its selective programs - Nursing and Dental Hygiene among them - are split across specific locations, with the nursing program itself divided between the Floyd Campus and the Heritage Hall site. Since clinical placements, lab access, and course sequencing can differ meaningfully by location, students should confirm early which campus their specific track of interest is based at rather than assuming all sites offer identical program access. This is especially relevant for students weighing commute distance or planning around work schedules, since Georgia Highlands' multi-campus structure means the "same" program can look logistically different depending on which site you're admitted through.
Expert Insight:
The recurring mistake at Georgia Highlands is applicants assuming that because general admission is essentially automatic, the nursing program follows the same rolling, low-friction logic - when in reality it has a strict January 1?April 1 application window, a ranked competitive scoring formula, and a mid-May decision date that explicitly excludes any spring-semester grades, all of which can blindside a student who applies late or is counting on a final-semester GPA boost.
GHC Profile
Full Name
Georgia Highlands College (GHC)
City
Rome
State
Georgia
ZIP Code
30161-3897
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Is a GHC Degree Worth It?
At $12,829/year against a $43,184 median graduate salary, GHC is worth weighing against your specific program and financial situation — the numbers below give you a real basis for that decision.
The average household income among admitted students is $60,600, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.01%.
How much does a degree from GHC Cost?
The sticker price is $12,829/year, but the average net price students actually pay — after Pell and federal grants — is closer to $6,588.
39.4% of students receive a Pell Grant and 17.7% take federal loans at GHC — file your FAFSA early and list GHC as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a GHC Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $43,184 — about 6% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Degree Programs at GHC
Bachelor Degree Programs
Associate Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About GHC Admissions
Median earnings for Georgia Highlands College graduates sit around $43,184 a year.
At about $12,829 a year, Georgia Highlands College is on the more affordable end.
About 39.4% receive a Pell Grant at Georgia Highlands College — moderate odds, largely income-dependent, but an early FAFSA filing still helps.
Admitted students at Georgia Highlands College average a 3.02 GPA.
Georgia Highlands College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor — but landing at or above 2.72 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 2.62, Georgia Highlands College becomes a harder reach — though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
Yes — transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most — along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.