Georgia: school, college and career rules
Georgia sets a 23-unit minimum for a diploma, tests grades 3–8 and key high school courses with Georgia Milestones, and runs two public systems: the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
State Board of Education rule 160-4-2-.48 (effective 11 March 2020), for students who entered grade 9 in 2008-09 or later. Local boards may require more. Read through the Internet Archive capture of 31 May 2025 (apps.gadoe.org does not answer from India).GaDOE
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English / language arts | 4 units |
| Mathematics | 4 units |
| Science | 4 units (the 4th can also count as an elective) |
| Social studies | 3 units |
| CTAE, modern language / Latin, or fine arts | 3 units |
| Health and physical education | 1 unit |
| Electives | 4 units |
23 units minimum.
State tests for the diploma
Students in courses designated by the State Board of Education take Georgia Milestones end-of-course tests (see State test). Read through the Internet Archive capture of 31 May 2025 (apps.gadoe.org does not answer from India).GaDOE
State test: Georgia Milestones
Georgia Milestones Assessment System. Georgia Milestones measures how well students in grades 3 through high school have learned the state standards in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Read through the Internet Archive capture of 24 April 2026.GaDOE
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| End-of-Grade (EOG) | English language arts and mathematics | Grades 3–8 |
| End-of-Grade (EOG) | Science | Grades 5 and 8 |
| End-of-Grade (EOG) | Social studies | Grade 8 |
| End-of-Course (EOC) | Courses designated by the State Board of Education | High school (or middle school students in those courses) |
Source: Read through the Internet Archive capture of 24 April 2026.GaDOE
What the scores are used for
- Milestones tells students how ready they are for the next grade, the next course or postsecondary study; parents, schools, districts and policy makers use the results to monitor and improve Georgia's education system.
GaDOE
Georgia Milestones Assessment SystemGeorgia Department of Education- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 24 April 2026.
View source
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- University System of Georgia (USG)University system · Georgia's public colleges and universities, governed by the Board of Regents, which elects each institution's president.
- Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG)Community colleges · Oversees the state's technical colleges, adult literacy programs and economic and workforce development programs: a unified system of technical education, adult education and business and industry training.
Sources: Read through the Internet Archive capture of 2 Oct 2026 (tcsg.edu returns 503 to requests from India).USG
View sourceTCSG
Every school in Georgia, public and private, with cost and completion: 157 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 15 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- O.C.G.A. 20-3-66 and Board of Regents policy: you must establish and keep a domicile in Georgia for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before the first day of classes to be considered in-state for that term.
USG
Tuition Classification GlossaryUniversity System of Georgia, Enrollment Management & Student Affairs- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- A domicile is your present, permanent home where you intend to stay indefinitely; you can have only one. A student turning 18 is not reclassified by emancipation alone unless they show financial independence and a domicile separate from their parents.
USG
Tuition Classification GlossaryUniversity System of Georgia, Enrollment Management & Student Affairs- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GAfutures). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
HOPE Scholarship
For Georgia residents who have shown academic achievement; pays part of tuition at a HOPE-eligible college or university. High school students can track their HOPE GPA in their GAfutures account. Read through the Internet Archive capture of 14 Oct 2026.GSFC
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Georgia license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Georgia board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Supreme Court of Georgia, Office of Bar Admissions Georgia requirements | Georgia's own bar exam with the MBE and MPT. MPRE required (passing score 75). NextGen UBE from July 2028. NCBEGeorgia: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Georgia Composite Medical Board | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Georgia State Board of Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Georgia Board of Nursing Georgia requirements | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact Georgia Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
Careers.Georgia.gov
State of Georgia
- Search job openings across nearly 100 state agencies and apply online.
- The site's FAQ explains how to apply and how to check your application status.
Source: Careers.Georgia.gov
View source
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Georgia has no State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers programs here. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Georgia Apprenticeship Office (U.S. Department of Labor)Georgia has no State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Georgia Apprenticeship Office registers and oversees programs.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: Apprenticeship.gov
View source
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Georgia: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Georgia Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- State Board of Education Rule 160-4-2-.48: High School Graduation Requirements (students entering grade 9 in 2008-09 and later; PDF) · Georgia Department of Education checked 2026-10-21
- Georgia Milestones Assessment System · Georgia Department of Education checked 2026-10-21
- Board of Regents Policy Manual: Institutional Governance (election of presidents) · University System of Georgia checked 2026-10-21
- About TCSG · Technical College System of Georgia checked 2026-10-21
- Tuition Classification Glossary · University System of Georgia, Enrollment Management & Student Affairs checked 2026-10-21
- HOPE Scholarship · Georgia Student Finance Commission (GAfutures) checked 2026-10-21
- Careers.Georgia.gov: State of Georgia jobs · State of Georgia checked 2026-10-21
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21
- The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21