Georgia Southern opened in 1908 as a district farm school in Statesboro. It is now a public research university with campuses in Statesboro, Savannah and Hinesville, plus Swainsboro since East Georgia State College joined in 2026. The Eagles won six national football titles in the 1980s and 1990s, and for years a live bald eagle named Freedom flew into Paulson Stadium before home games. The university also houses the Smithsonian's national tick collection.
About this site
Georgia Southern University is a college & university in Statesboro, Bulloch County. It is one of 134 historic sites cataloged in Bulloch County on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 32.4222, -81.7814 near Statesboro. The nearest cataloged historic site is First District Agricultural and Mechanical School (historical marker), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include Marvin Summers Pittman, Integration of Georgia Southern, and Pioneer Turpentining Experiment.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Georgia Southern University different
The Rolling Stones played the college gym on May 4, 1965. The Georgia Historical Society calls it the band's first concert in the Southeast and its first on a college campus, and it came a few days before they recorded "Satisfaction." gpb.org
Georgia Southern houses the U.S. National Tick Collection, more than a million specimens that the Smithsonian owns and moved to Statesboro in 1990. A permanent exhibit on it is open to the public. georgiasouthern.edu
Its 1989 football team went 15–0 and won the Division I-AA title at home, making it the first college team of the 20th century to win 15 games in a season. en.wikipedia.org
The Georgia Southern Museum, in a 1937 Rosenwald building, displays the Vogtle whale (Georgiacetus vogtlensis), an early whale with hind legs that Georgia Southern paleontologists dug up at Plant Vogtle in Burke County. georgiasouthern.edu
Freedom, the bald eagle who flew into Paulson Stadium before home games for years, died in March 2025. A statue of him now stands at the stadium, and his successor, Freedom II, is still training for her first flight there. ajc.com
The 11-acre Botanic Garden grew from an early 20th-century farmstead that Dan and Catharine Bland left to the university. en.wikipedia.org
When the school opened in 1908 as a district farm school, students nicknamed it "the Culture." georgiaencyclopedia.org
Statesboro and Bulloch County won the state's competition for the First District Agricultural and Mechanical School in 1906 with a bid of more than $125,000. The school opened in 1908 with four teachers and 15 students, and students nicknamed it "the Culture." Teacher training soon took over its mission. It became Georgia Normal School in 1924, South Georgia Teachers College in 1929 and Georgia Teachers College in 1939. In 1941 Governor Eugene Talmadge had President Marvin Pittman removed in a political purge of the state's colleges, and Pittman was reinstated after Talmadge lost the next election.
The name changed to Georgia Southern College in 1959 as the liberal arts curriculum grew. Football, dropped during World War II, came back in the early 1980s under former University of Georgia defensive coordinator Erk Russell. His Eagles won Division I-AA national titles in 1985 and 1986 and went 15–0 in 1989, and the program added three more titles by 2000. The school became Georgia Southern University in 1990.
Growth came through mergers as well. In January 2018 Georgia Southern absorbed Armstrong State University, adding the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hinesville. On January 1, 2026, East Georgia State College joined as well, and its Swainsboro campus is now the East Georgia Campus. Fall 2025 enrollment reached 29,633, the largest in the university's history. Kyle Marrero has been president since 2019.
#328 (tie) National Universities — U.S. News & World Report, 2026source
#106 (tie) Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (non-doctoral) — U.S. News & World Report, 2026source
#3 Best Online Information Technology Degree Program (bachelor's) — Forbes Advisor, 2026source
#27 Best Online Master's in Criminal Justice Programs — U.S. News & World Report, 2025source
#84 Best Public Health Schools (Master of Public Health) — U.S. News & World Report, Best Graduate Schools, 2025source
#132 Best Physical Therapy Programs (Doctor of Physical Therapy) — U.S. News & World Report, Best Graduate Schools, 2025source
#62 Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans — U.S. News & World Report, 2025source
Majors & programs
Georgia Southern offers more than 150 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs through 10 colleges, spread across the Statesboro, Armstrong (Savannah), Liberty (Hinesville) and East Georgia (Swainsboro) campuses and online. The colleges below each list a few representative majors. Use the official degree finder for the full, current list and to see which campus offers each one.
Known for
Information Technology
Forbes Advisor ranked the online bachelor's in IT #3 in the country for 2026.
Known for
Public Health
The Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health is one of Georgia's few schools of public health, and U.S. News ranked its MPH #84 in 2025.
Known for
Physical Therapy (DPT)
The doctoral program in the Waters College of Health Professions was ranked #132 by U.S. News in 2025.
Known for
Criminal Justice and Criminology
The online master's is the university's highest-ranked online program, at #27 in U.S. News's 2025 list.
Known for
Engineering
The Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing is named for the Gulfstream aviation executive who also gave his name to the football stadium.
All degree programs at Georgia Southern University (10)
Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing
Majors include civil, electrical, mechanical and manufacturing engineering, computer science, information technology and construction management
College of Arts and Humanities
Majors include art, music, theatre, communication arts, English, history and modern languages
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Majors include psychology, criminal justice, political science, sociology and anthropology
College of Education
Majors include early childhood, middle grades and special education, plus graduate programs in educational leadership
College of Science and Mathematics
Majors include biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics and physics
Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health
Programs include the MPH, the doctorate in public health and biostatistics
Parker College of Business
Majors include accounting, finance, logistics and supply chain management, marketing and the MBA
Waters College of Health Professions
Programs include nursing, health sciences and kinesiology, and the Doctor of Physical Therapy
Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies
Oversees the university's master's and doctoral programs
Six Division I-AA (FCS) national football championships: 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999 and 2000 en.wikipedia.org
1989 team went 15–0, the first 15-win season by a college team in the 20th century en.wikipedia.org
Won the 2025 JLab Birmingham Bowl, 29–10 over rival Appalachian State en.wikipedia.org
Baseball reached the College World Series in 1973 and 1990 and won the 1962 NAIA national title en.wikipedia.org
Home venues: Allen E. Paulson Stadium (football) · Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center (basketball, opened December 2024) · Hanner Fieldhouse (volleyball) · J.I. Clements Stadium (baseball)
Its football history (six FCS national titles), a large public university in a college town, and programs in business, engineering and IT, education, nursing and public health. It is also home to the U.S. National Tick Collection.
How big is Georgia Southern?
The Department of Education counted 27,423 students in fall 2024, and the university reported a record 29,633 in fall 2025. That was before East Georgia State College joined in January 2026.
What division is Georgia Southern?
NCAA Division I. Football plays in the FBS, and the Eagles compete in the Sun Belt Conference.
Did Georgia Southern merge with East Georgia State College?
Yes. The consolidation took effect on January 1, 2026. East Georgia's Swainsboro campus is now Georgia Southern University's East Georgia Campus.
What campuses does Georgia Southern have?
Statesboro, the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, the Liberty Campus in Hinesville and the East Georgia Campus in Swainsboro, plus a study-abroad center in Wexford, Ireland.
How many national championships has Georgia Southern won in football?
Six Division I-AA/FCS titles: 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999 and 2000.
Can you visit Georgia Southern's campus?
Yes. The Statesboro campus is open to walk. The Georgia Southern Museum, the Center for Wildlife Education and the Botanic Garden welcome visitors, so check their hours before you go. Admissions visits are booked through the university's visit page.
Who is the president of Georgia Southern?
Kyle Marrero, who has led the university since 2019.
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