Georgia College & State University started in 1889 as a women's college in what had been Georgia's capital. Since 1996 it has been the state's designated public liberal arts university. Flannery O'Connor graduated from it in 1945, and the college now owns and runs her Andalusia farm as a museum. It also cares for the 1839 Greek Revival mansion where Georgia's governors lived before the Civil War.
About this site
Georgia College & State University is a college & university in Milledgeville, Baldwin County. It is one of 113 historic sites cataloged in Baldwin County on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 33.0880, -83.2372 near Milledgeville. The nearest cataloged historic site is Bone Cemetery (cemetery), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include The March to the Sea, Fowler Apartments, and Jarrett Springs.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Georgia College & State University different
The college has owned the Old Governor's Mansion since it opened, first using it as a dormitory and president's home. From 1839 to 1868 this Greek Revival house was home to eight Georgia governors. It is now a National Historic Landmark and a Smithsonian affiliate museum run by GCSU. gcsu.edu
Flannery O'Connor finished her degree here in 1945. The college library holds a major collection of her manuscripts. georgiaencyclopedia.org
GCSU owns Andalusia, the dairy farm north of town where O'Connor wrote most of her fiction. It became a National Historic Landmark in 2022 and is open for house tours. nps.gov
During World War II the campus hosted a Navy school that trained about 15,000 WAVES between 1943 and 1945. georgiaencyclopedia.org
It was a women's college for its first 78 years. Men were first admitted in 1967. georgiaencyclopedia.org
In 1996 the University System of Georgia named it the state's public liberal arts university. It joined the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges in the early 2000s. georgiaencyclopedia.org
The Georgia legislature chartered Georgia Normal and Industrial College on November 8, 1889, to give women practical training for teaching, business and industry. Augusta journalist Julia Flisch had argued that women deserved the same public support as the men at UGA and Georgia Tech. She enlisted Susan Atkinson, whose husband, legislator William Y. Atkinson, carried the bill. The school opened in Milledgeville in 1891 with a new classroom building, Old Main. The state also gave it the Old Governor's Mansion, empty since the capital moved to Atlanta, which became a dormitory and the president's home.
The college became Georgia State College for Women in 1922, when it gained the right to grant four-year degrees. During World War II it hosted a Navy training school that prepared thousands of WAVES. Flannery O'Connor studied there in the same years and graduated in 1945. The school became the Woman's College of Georgia in 1961. It admitted men in 1967 and became simply Georgia College.
In 1996 the University System of Georgia gave it a new mission as the state's public liberal arts university, with higher admission standards, and the name Georgia College & State University. It joined the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges in the early 2000s. The Old Governor's Mansion reopened in 2005 after a long restoration. In 2017 the college foundation received Andalusia, O'Connor's farm north of town, which became a National Historic Landmark in 2022. Cathy Cox, a former Georgia secretary of state, has been president since October 2021.
#4 top public school in the Regional Universities South category, the highest in the school's history — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#2 for Best Undergraduate Teaching among 152 Regional Universities South — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#7 Most Innovative Schools, Regional Universities South — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
Majors & programs
GCSU offers 37 bachelor's majors across four colleges, and many of them add concentrations or dual-degree tracks. Graduate programs run from an on-campus MFA in creative writing to online master's degrees and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. Below are the undergraduate majors GCSU listed in September 2026.
Known for
English and Creative Writing
O'Connor's alma mater offers an English B.A. with a creative writing concentration and an on-campus MFA, and it owns her manuscripts and her farm.
Known for
Nursing
A B.S.N. in the College of Health Sciences, with online M.S.N. and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees for graduates.
Known for
Dual-degree engineering with Georgia Tech
Chemistry, computer science, data science, mathematics and physics majors can pair a GCSU degree with a Georgia Tech engineering degree.
Known for
Music Therapy
One of the less common majors here: a Bachelor of Music Therapy, with an online master's to follow.
Known for
Art with Museum Studies
The Art B.A. has a museum studies concentration, and the college runs its own museums, including the Old Governor's Mansion and Andalusia.
All degree programs at Georgia College & State University (41)
College of Arts & Sciences
Art · B.A.
Biology · B.S.
Chemistry · B.S.
Communication · B.A.
Criminal Justice · B.A.
English · B.A.
Environmental Sciences · B.S.
Geography · B.A.
History · B.A.
Interdisciplinary Studies · B.A.
Mathematics · B.S.
Music · B.A.
Music Therapy · B.M.T.
Philosophy · B.A.
Physics · B.S.
Political Science · B.A.
Psychology · B.S.
Sociology · B.A.
Theatre · B.A.
World Languages and Cultures · B.A.
J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology
Flannery O'Connor — author of 'Wise Blood' and 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find'; her collected stories won the 1972 National Book Award (B.A., 1945) en.wikipedia.org
Sandra Deal — First Lady of Georgia from 2011 to 2019 and a literacy advocate (B.S. elementary education, 1963; master's, 1968) en.wikipedia.org
Allison Hooker — U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs since 2025 (B.A.) en.wikipedia.org
Sherrilyn Kenyon — bestselling author of the 'Dark-Hunter' paranormal series (attended in the 1980s) en.wikipedia.org
Ruth Carter Stapleton — Christian evangelist and author, sister of President Jimmy Carter (attended Georgia State College for Women) en.wikipedia.org
Home venues: Centennial Center (basketball, volleyball) · John Kurtz Field (baseball) · Bobcat Soccer Field · Bobcat Softball Field · Centennial Center Tennis Courts
In Search Of Flannery OConnors Peacocks | GPB News · GPBFlannery at 100 Celebration · Georgia College & State UniversityA Brief History of Georgia College · The Colonnade
Georgia College & State University: questions & answers
What is Georgia College known for?
It's Georgia's designated public liberal arts university: small classes, a historic downtown campus in Milledgeville and strong programs in nursing, business, education and the humanities. It's also Flannery O'Connor's alma mater, and it owns her farm, Andalusia.
Is Georgia College a good school?
U.S. News ranked GCSU #4 among public schools in its Regional Universities South category for 2027, its highest ranking ever. It was also #2 in the South for undergraduate teaching.
How big is Georgia College?
It enrolled 7,097 students in fall 2024, including 6,006 undergraduates, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
What division is Georgia College in?
The Bobcats compete in NCAA Division II in the Peach Belt Conference.
Was Georgia College a women's college?
Yes. It opened in 1891 as Georgia Normal and Industrial College for women and admitted men for the first time in 1967.
Can you visit Flannery O'Connor's home?
Yes. Andalusia, a few miles north of campus, offers guided house tours Tuesday through Sunday (Sunday afternoons only) and is closed on Mondays. Check gcsu.edu/andalusia before you go.
Is the Old Governor's Mansion part of Georgia College?
Yes. The college has owned the 1839 mansion since it opened in 1891, when it served as a dormitory and president's home. Today GCSU runs it as a house museum with guided tours Tuesday through Sunday.
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