Valdosta State is the University System of Georgia's big regional university for South Georgia, and it looks like nowhere else in the state. Its first president fell for the Spanish Mission style on a trip out West, so the campus is a sweep of white stucco, red-tile roofs and palms, centered on domed West Hall. It started in 1913 as a teachers' college for women and has won ten NCAA Division II national titles.
About this site
Valdosta State University is a college & university in Valdosta, Lowndes County. It is one of 53 historic sites cataloged in Lowndes County on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 30.8488, -83.2882 near Valdosta. The nearest cataloged historic site is Drexel Park (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Sunset Hill Cemetery, North Patterson Street Historic District, and Crescent, The.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Valdosta State University different
The Spanish Mission look goes back to the first president, Richard Holmes Powell, who chose it after traveling in the West. The university has kept the style ever since. valdosta.edu
West Hall opened in 1917. Its dome sits over a three-story rotunda with a bronze university seal set into a green marble floor. en.wikipedia.org
The Whitehead Camellia Trail began as a 1944 Christmas gift. Jewel Whitehead planted 150 camellias among the campus pines and cared for the trail for the rest of her life. valdosta.edu
When the college opened in January 1913, it had only three college freshmen, plus fifteen younger students in its training school. valdosta.edu
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated the campus's Powell Library during a New Deal building boom. valdosta.edu
In 2006 the Georgia General Assembly named VSU's Peach State Summer Theatre the Official Musical Theatre of the State of Georgia. en.wikipedia.org
The Blazers have won ten NCAA Division II national championships: four in football, four in men's tennis, one in baseball and one in softball. georgiaencyclopedia.org
Local legislators and civic leaders won a 1906 state charter for a South Georgia State Normal College in Valdosta, then a busy cotton market just above the Florida border. The state did not fund it until 1911. The city added money, and Col. W. S. West donated the land that became the main campus. The first president, Richard Holmes Powell, picked the Spanish Mission look after travels in the American West. Classes began in January 1913 with three college freshmen and fifteen younger students, and the original building still stands today as Converse Hall.
West Hall, with its red-tiled dome, opened in 1917 and was named for Colonel West. In 1922 the school became a four-year college called Georgia State Woman's College. New Deal funding more than doubled the number of buildings in the 1930s and 1940s, including a library that Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated. In 1950 the Board of Regents made the college coeducational and renamed it Valdosta State College. A few years later it bought the former Emory Junior College nearby, which became its North Campus. The college integrated in 1963.
Valdosta State became a regional university in 1993 and grew under a series of presidents to more than 10,000 students from over 60 countries. Its Blazers teams have won four Division II football titles and four men's tennis titles, and its Peach State Summer Theatre is the official musical theatre of Georgia. Donald J. Green, formerly president of Gordon State College, became the university's 11th president on August 1, 2026.
Listed among Best National Universities, Top Public Schools and Top Performers on Social Mobility — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
Ranked undergraduate programs in business, nursing, psychology and computer science — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
Best Online Bachelor's Programs, Best Online MBA Programs and Best Online Master's in Education Programs — U.S. News & World Report, 2026source
Top three Master of Social Work programs in Georgia — MastersInCounseling.org, 2026source
Majors & programs
VSU offers nearly 200 programs, counting majors, minors and certificates, across six academic colleges. Degrees run from associate to doctorate, and more than 60 programs are available fully online. The list below shows a sample of majors from each college. Use the official program finder for the complete list.
Known for
Master of Library and Information Science
Started in 2001. The New Georgia Encyclopedia calls it the only American Library Association-accredited library science program in Georgia.
Known for
Master of Social Work
In 2003 VSU became the first school in Georgia to offer a hybrid, competency-based MSW. In 2026 MastersInCounseling.org placed it among Georgia's top three MSW programs.
Known for
Business (BBA)
The Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration is AACSB-accredited, and U.S. News lists its undergraduate business program in its 2027 rankings.
Known for
Nursing (BSN)
Available in traditional and accelerated tracks. U.S. News ranked it among its 2027 undergraduate nursing programs.
Known for
Theatre and Musical Theatre (BFA)
Students train alongside Peach State Summer Theatre, which Georgia's legislature named the state's official musical theatre in 2006.
Known for
Computer Science (B.S.)
ABET-accredited, and ranked by U.S. News among its 2027 undergraduate computer science programs.
All degree programs at Valdosta State University (6)
College of the Arts
Majors include Art, Interior Design, Music Performance, Dance, Theatre (including Musical Theatre), Mass Media and Communication
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Majors include English, History, Political Science, Psychology, Criminal Justice, Sociology & Anthropology, Spanish and French
College of Science and Mathematics
Majors include Biology, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems and Environmental Geosciences
Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration
Majors include Accounting, Applied Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing and General Business, plus an MBA
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Majors include Nursing (BSN), Exercise Physiology and Health Sciences
James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services
Majors include Elementary, Middle Grades and Secondary Education, Communication Disorders, and American Sign Language/English Interpreting
Ray McKinnon — actor and filmmaker who created SundanceTV's 'Rectify' and shared an Oscar for the short film 'The Accountant' (theatre degree, 1981) en.wikipedia.org
Pauley Perrette — actress who played Abby Sciuto on 'NCIS' for 15 seasons (attended) en.wikipedia.org
6lack — Grammy-nominated R&B singer and rapper (attended, and left in 2011 after signing a record deal) en.wikipedia.org
Jessie Tuggle — linebacker who spent his whole NFL career (1987–2000) with the Atlanta Falcons, five-time Pro Bowler and College Football Hall of Famer (played at VSU 1983–86) en.wikipedia.org
Kenny Moore II — NFL cornerback and 2021 Pro Bowl pick with the Indianapolis Colts (played at VSU 2013–16) en.wikipedia.org
Dusty Bonner — quarterback who won the Harlon Hill Trophy, Division II's top player award, in 2000 and 2001 en.wikipedia.org
Debra Fordham — writer of 16 'Scrubs' episodes who also wrote for 'Army Wives' (VSU theatre graduate) en.wikipedia.org
Brad Carter — actor in 'True Detective' and 'Sons of Anarchy' (BFA) en.wikipedia.org
Marc T. Treadwell — U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia (B.A., 1978) en.wikipedia.org
Valdosta State wins 2018 DII football championship shootout | FULL FINAL 1:29 · NCAA ChampionshipsValdosta State Defeats Washburn (4-2 Final) | 2025 NCAA DII Men’s Tennis Championship Highlights · Cracked RacquetsValdosta State honors and remembers first black students · WALB News 10Valdosta State University History: Co Ed Part 1 · Valdosta State University Archives and Special CollectionsPSST, VSU Theatre nominated for 43 Broadway World Awards · WALB News 10
Its Spanish Mission-style campus, Division II athletics (ten national titles, four of them in football), and programs in nursing, business, education, social work, library science and the performing arts.
What division is Valdosta State?
NCAA Division II. The Blazers play in the Gulf South Conference.
How big is Valdosta State?
About 10,300 students in Fall 2024 (7,166 undergraduates and 3,096 graduate students), according to the U.S. Department of Education.
How many national championships has Valdosta State won?
Ten NCAA Division II titles: football in 2004, 2007, 2012 and 2018; men's tennis in 2006, 2011, 2024 and 2025; baseball in 1979; and softball in 2012.
Where do the Valdosta State Blazers play football?
At Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, a few blocks southeast of the main campus. The stadium is nicknamed "Death Valley" and is shared with Valdosta High School.
Who is the president of Valdosta State?
Dr. Donald J. Green became VSU's 11th president on August 1, 2026. He previously led Gordon State College.
Can you visit the Valdosta State campus?
Yes. The grounds are open to walk, and the admissions office runs official campus tours that you can book online. The Whitehead Camellia Trail is at its best in winter, and the azaleas around West Hall bloom in spring.
Was Valdosta State a women's college?
Yes. It opened in 1913 as a teacher-training school for women, was Georgia State Woman's College from 1922, and became coeducational as Valdosta State College in 1950.
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