Georgia Tech opened in 1888 with 129 students and one course of study, mechanical engineering. It is now one of the country's largest engineering schools, with more than 53,000 students. The campus sits in Midtown Atlanta, where a red-brick tower with glowing TECH letters looks over a football stadium older than almost any other in major college football. Its co-op program dates to 1912, and in 1996 the campus housed the Olympic Village.
About this site
Georgia Tech is a college & university in Atlanta, Fulton County. It is one of 5 colleges & universities documented in Fulton County, among 643 historic sites cataloged across the county on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 33.7764, -84.3965 near Atlanta. The nearest cataloged historic site is Omega Chapter of Chi Phi Fraternity (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Omega Chapter of the Chi Phi Fraternity, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Wallace, Anne, Branch--Carnegie Library of Atlanta.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Georgia Tech different
In 1916 Tech beat Cumberland College 222–0 under coach John Heisman. It is still the most lopsided score in college football history. en.wikipedia.org
The football stadium has hosted games since 1913 and is the oldest stadium in the top tier of college football (FBS). en.wikipedia.org
The Ramblin' Wreck, a 1930 Ford Model A sport coupe, has led the football team onto the field since 1961. gtalumni.org
George P. Burdell has been 'enrolled' since 1927, when a student signed up a made-up classmate as a prank. Students have kept him on class rolls and sign-up sheets ever since. traditions.gatech.edu
In 1961 Georgia Tech became the first major state university in the Deep South to admit Black students without a court order. georgiaencyclopedia.org
For the 1996 Atlanta Olympics the campus was the athletes' village, and its aquatic center hosted swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and water polo. news.gatech.edu
The Kendeda Building was certified under the Living Building Challenge in 2021. It produces more energy than it uses and collects rainwater for its own supply. news.gatech.edu
Georgia lawmakers created the Georgia School of Technology in October 1885, betting that engineering training could help rebuild the state's economy after the Civil War. Classes began in October 1888 with 129 students studying mechanical engineering in two buildings: an academic hall with a clock tower and a working machine shop. That hall, now called Tech Tower, is still the symbol of the campus.
The school grew quickly. A cooperative education program, which let students alternate classes with paid engineering jobs, began in 1912. The state authorized an Engineering Experiment Station in 1919, and it opened in 1934; today it is the Georgia Tech Research Institute. The name changed to the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1948, and women were first admitted in 1952. In 1961 Ford Greene, Ralph Long Jr. and Lawrence Williams enrolled without a court order, making Tech the first major state university in the Deep South to desegregate peacefully.
For the 1996 Summer Olympics the campus served as the athletes' village and hosted swimming and diving, and new residence halls built for the Games stayed behind for students. Growth since then has come from Technology Square across the Downtown Connector, an online master's in computer science launched in 2014, and the Kendeda Building, which in 2021 became the first Living Building Challenge-certified project of its size in the Southeast. Ángel Cabrera, president since 2019, announced in June 2026 that he would leave in November to lead the Aspen Institute.
#29 among national universities — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#6 among public national universities — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#2 undergraduate engineering program (tied) — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#1 in civil, environmental, and industrial & systems engineering (undergraduate specialties) — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#5 undergraduate computer science program (tied) — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#27 overall and #5 among public colleges on America's Top Colleges — Forbes, 2027source
Five-star rating in Best Colleges, the only Georgia school rated five stars — Money, 2026source
Majors & programs
Georgia Tech's degrees are split among seven colleges, and engineering and computing enroll the most students. Every undergraduate major is a Bachelor of Science, including majors in the liberal arts, design and business. The list below shows representative majors for each college. The official directory has every major, minor and graduate degree.
Known for
Industrial and Systems Engineering
U.S. News ranked it #1 among undergraduate engineering specialties in its 2027 edition.
Known for
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Both specialties were ranked #1 by U.S. News in 2027.
Known for
Aerospace Engineering
Ranked #2 by U.S. News (2027). Alumni include Apollo 16 moonwalker John Young and former NASA administrator Richard Truly.
Known for
Computer Science
Ranked #5 nationally by U.S. News (2027). The online master's in computer science, launched in 2014, became one of the largest programs of its kind.
Known for
Business Administration (Scheller College of Business)
U.S. News ranked Scheller's business analytics and management information systems programs #3 in 2027.
Known for
Co-op and internships
The co-op program has run since 1912. In 2023–24, about 3,890 students registered co-ops or internships through the Career Center.
All degree programs at Georgia Tech (6)
College of Computing
Majors include Computer Science, Computational Media, and Mathematics and Computing · BS, MS, Ph.D.
College of Design
Majors include Architecture, Industrial Design, Music Technology, Construction Science and Management, and Urban Planning and Spatial Analytics · BS, MS, M.Arch, Ph.D.
College of Engineering
Majors include Aerospace, Biomedical, Chemical and Biomolecular, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Industrial, Materials Science, Mechanical, and Nuclear and Radiological Engineering · BS, MS, Ph.D.
College of Sciences
Majors include Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Astrophysics, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Psychology, and Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences · BS, MS, Ph.D.
Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
Majors include Economics, International Affairs, Public Policy, History, Technology, and Society, Literature, Media, and Communication, and Applied Languages · BS, MS, Ph.D.
Scheller College of Business
Business Administration, with concentrations such as finance, IT management and operations · BS, MBA, MS, Ph.D.
Jimmy Carter — 39th U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize winner; studied at Georgia Tech in 1942–43 before the U.S. Naval Academy (attended) en.wikipedia.org
Kary Mullis — invented PCR and shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (B.S. in chemistry) en.wikipedia.org
John Young — walked on the Moon on Apollo 16 and commanded the first space shuttle flight (B.S. in aeronautical engineering, 1952) en.wikipedia.org
Bobby Jones — golf's 1930 Grand Slam winner and co-founder of Augusta National and the Masters (B.S. in mechanical engineering, 1922) en.wikipedia.org
Sam Nunn — U.S. senator from Georgia for 24 years and a leading voice on nuclear arms control (attended) en.wikipedia.org
Juan Carlos Varela — president of Panama from 2014 to 2019 (B.S. in industrial engineering, 1985) en.wikipedia.org
Mike Duke — president and CEO of Walmart from 2009 to 2014 (industrial engineering, 1971) en.wikipedia.org
Richard Truly — space shuttle astronaut and NASA administrator (aeronautical engineering, 1959) en.wikipedia.org
Ben Chestnut — co-founder and longtime CEO of Atlanta-based Mailchimp (industrial design) en.wikipedia.org
Jeff Foxworthy — stand-up comedian of 'You might be a redneck' fame (attended) en.wikipedia.org
Where graduates work
73% of bachelor's graduates who responded to Georgia Tech's 2023–24 Career & Salary Survey reported accepting a job offer. This figure is Georgia Tech's own. It comes from the Career Center's 2023–24 Career & Salary Employment Report, which uses the Office of Academic Effectiveness survey taken around graduation. 42% of bachelor's graduates responded, and graduates headed to graduate school are counted separately. The employers below are the report's top 20 full-time employers across all degree levels. bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com
AccentureAmazonAppleAT&TCapital OneDeloitteGE AerospaceGE VernovaGoogleGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)IBMIntelKPMGLockheed MartinManhattan AssociatesMetaMicrosoftNorthrop GrummanPwCSpaceX
Men's basketball reached the 2004 NCAA championship game en.wikipedia.org
Men's basketball reached its first Final Four in 1990 en.wikipedia.org
Home venues: Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (football) · McCamish Pavilion (basketball) · O'Keefe Gymnasium (volleyball) · Russ Chandler Stadium (baseball) · Mewborn Field (softball) · McAuley Aquatic Center (the 1996 Olympic pool) · Ken Byers Tennis Complex
Trailblazers: The Struggle and the Promise · Georgia TechGeorgia Tech honors first African American students · 11Alive100th Anniversary of 222-0 · Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsGeorgia Tech topples #1 Virginia in 1990 · Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsThe Kendeda Building earns Living Building Challenge certification · Georgia Tech
Engineering and computing. U.S. News ranks its undergraduate engineering program #2 in the nation (2027 edition), with civil, environmental, and industrial and systems engineering at #1. Computer science is ranked #5.
Is Georgia Tech a public school?
Yes. It is a public research university in the University System of Georgia. U.S. News ranked it the #6 public university in its 2027 edition.
How many students go to Georgia Tech?
53,363 in Fall 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Education: 20,591 undergraduates and 32,772 graduate students, many of them in online master's programs.
What division and conference is Georgia Tech in?
NCAA Division I (FBS) in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The teams are the Yellow Jackets, and football plays at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the oldest stadium in FBS.
Can you visit Georgia Tech's campus?
Yes. The Midtown campus is open to walk around. Prospective students can book admission visits at admission.gatech.edu/visit, and the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking is open to the public.
What is the Ramblin' Wreck?
It's Georgia Tech's mechanical mascot, a restored 1930 Ford Model A that has led the football team onto the field since 1961. The name comes from the fight song, 'Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech.'
Who is Georgia Tech's president?
Ángel Cabrera, a Georgia Tech alumnus who took office in 2019. In June 2026 he announced he will leave in November 2026 to become president and CEO of the Aspen Institute.
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