South Georgia State College opened in Douglas in 1907 as a district agricultural and mechanical high school. In 1927 it became Georgia's first state-supported two-year college. Its three original brick buildings still anchor a National Register historic district. Since a 2013 merger with Waycross College, it has run campuses in both Douglas and Waycross, adding a handful of bachelor's degrees in fields like nursing, biology and engineering technology to its transfer programs.
About this site
South Georgia State College is a college & university in Douglas, Coffee County. It is one of 78 historic sites cataloged in Coffee County on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 31.4958, -82.8553 near Douglas. The nearest cataloged historic site is Tri - Hi - Y International (historical marker), about 0.9 miles away. Others within a short drive include Coffee County, Coffee County Courthouse, and Coffee County.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes South Georgia State College different
In 1927 it became Georgia's first state-supported two-year college. en.wikipedia.org
Douglas won the school in 1906 by adding ten years of free water and electricity to its offer of cash and land, something no rival town matched. en.wikipedia.org
Ten campus buildings from 1907 to 1958 form a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. en.wikipedia.org
Davis Hall, a 1907 girls' dormitory later turned into classrooms, won a Georgia Trust Excellence in Rehabilitation Award in 2018. georgiatrust.org
Its biology bachelor's has a nature and ecology track that takes students into sites such as the Okefenokee Swamp. sgsc.edu
It has a rodeo club that competes in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. sgsc.edu
It was one of the original institutions of the University System of Georgia when the system formed in 1932. en.wikipedia.org
In 1906 the Georgia General Assembly passed a law creating an agricultural and mechanical high school in each congressional district, at a time when few rural Georgians went past the eighth grade. Douglas won the Eleventh District school by offering $55,000 in cash, 30 acres of land and ten years of free water and electricity. Atlanta architect Haralson Bleckley designed the first three buildings, an academic hall and two dormitories, and they still stand around the original semicircular drive.
The school added college work and in 1927 became Georgia's first state-supported two-year college. Joseph M. Thrash, who had joined the faculty in 1907 and later served as principal, became its first president. When the University System of Georgia formed in 1932, the college was one of its original institutions and became South Georgia College. A library, a gymnasium and other buildings followed between the 1930s and 1950s. In 2010 ten buildings from 1907 to 1958 were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district.
In January 2013 the regents merged South Georgia College with Waycross College, a two-year school that opened in 1976, to form South Georgia State College. The college now offers five bachelor's degrees alongside its associate pathways, and it has an instructional site in Valdosta. Greg Tanner, interim president since February 2023, was named permanent president in June 2026, after leading the campuses through their recovery from Hurricane Helene.
SGSC offers five bachelor's degrees and associate degree pathways in more than 20 fields. Most associate students go on to bachelor's programs elsewhere in the University System of Georgia, and the associate nursing program prepares students for RN licensure. The list below reflects the college's bachelor's degree and pathway pages in September 2026.
Known for
Nursing
SGSC's School of Nursing offers an associate RN program (including an LPN-to-RN bridge) and an RN-to-BSN.
Known for
Biological Sciences (B.S.)
Offers a nature and ecology track that uses nearby sites such as the Okefenokee Swamp, plus a pre-professional track for medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.
Known for
Mechanical Engineering Technology (B.S.)
A hands-on bachelor's with internships, aimed at manufacturing design and operations.
Known for
Management (B.S.)
Fully online, with concentrations in emergency services management, marketing, organizational behavior and FinTech.
All degree programs at South Georgia State College (27)
SGSC Sports Preview 2023 · South Georgia State CollegeNew post-grad basketball program in south Georgia honors Demaryius Thomas · WALB News 10South Ga. State College suspends swim program · WALB News 10
Is South Georgia State College a four-year school?
Mostly a two-year college, but it offers five bachelor's degrees: biological sciences, elementary/special education, management, mechanical engineering technology and nursing (RN to BSN).
How big is South Georgia State College?
About 1,900 students. The Department of Education counted 1,893 in fall 2024 across the Douglas and Waycross campuses.
Where are SGSC's campuses?
Douglas, which is the historic main campus, and Waycross, plus an instructional site in Valdosta.
What sports does South Georgia State College have?
The Hawks compete in the NJCAA and the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association in baseball, softball, men's basketball and women's soccer.
Is the Douglas campus historic?
Yes. Ten buildings from 1907 to 1958 form a National Register historic district, including the three original 1907 buildings by architect Haralson Bleckley.
Who is the president of SGSC?
Greg Tanner. The Board of Regents named him president in June 2026 after more than three years as interim president.
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