ABAC is Georgia's agricultural college, and its campus works like a farm, a forest and a classroom at once. It opened in Tifton in 1908 as a district farm school for teenagers and now awards bachelor's degrees in agribusiness, forestry, agricultural education and more. It also runs the Georgia Museum of Agriculture, the state's official farm museum, where a century-old steam locomotive still pulls passengers on Saturdays.
About this site
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is a college & university in Tifton, Tift County. It is one of 30 historic sites cataloged in Tift County on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 31.4790, -83.5275 near Tifton. The nearest cataloged historic site is The Dwight David Eisenhower Memorial Gardens (historical marker), about 1.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Tifton Museum of Arts and Heritage, Jefferson Davis Memorial State Park, and Susan Lane Tillman Moore.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College different
Tifton won the school in 1906 on the eighth ballot, after Henry Harding Tift raised the county's bid on the spot and later added the land's timber for forestry study. abac.edu
Opening day, February 20, 1908, was a town holiday in Tifton. Stores closed, and a special train carried about 1,200 people to the campus. abac.edu
Tift Hall, Lewis Hall and Herring Hall, the first three buildings from 1908, are still in use on the front of campus. georgiaencyclopedia.org
ABAC runs the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village, the state's official agriculture museum. It is a 95-acre living-history village with more than 35 restored buildings. georgiaencyclopedia.org
The museum's Vulcan #5 steam locomotive was built in 1917. The museum says it is the only steam train in regular operation in Georgia, and it runs on Saturdays. gma.abac.edu
President Jimmy Carter took short courses through ABAC's continuing-education program when he was a peanut farmer in Plains. georgiaencyclopedia.org
The forestry track of ABAC's Natural Resource Management degree is accredited by the Society of American Foresters. abac.edu
In 1906 the Georgia General Assembly created an agricultural and mechanical school for each of the state's congressional districts. Towns bid hard for them. At a meeting in Albany, Tifton founder Henry Harding Tift raised his town's offer of 315 acres and cash until Tifton won on the eighth ballot. The Second District A&M School opened on February 20, 1908, as a boarding high school with 27 students. Tifton declared the day a holiday, and a special train carried about 1,200 people out to the new campus. The first three buildings, later named Tift, Lewis and Herring halls, still stand.
The school became South Georgia A&M College in 1924, moved fully to college-level work, and in 1929 was renamed Georgia State College for Men, a four-year school. When the University System of Georgia formed in 1933, the college was cut back to a two-year school and renamed for Abraham Baldwin, a Georgia signer of the U.S. Constitution and the first president of the University of Georgia. For decades it trained farmers, foresters and transfer students. Future Governor George Busbee and Lieutenant Governor George T. Smith were among its students.
In 2006 ABAC became a state college. It awarded its first bachelor's degrees in 2009. In 2010 it took over the Georgia Agrirama, a living-history village that opened in 1976, and renamed it the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village. After a merger with Bainbridge State College in 2018, ABAC also teaches in Bainbridge. In 2024 its Golden Stallions moved from junior-college athletics to the NAIA. Tracy Brundage has been president since 2022.
#16 among Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges South — U.S. News & World Report, 2026source
#50 among Best Regional Colleges South — U.S. News & World Report, 2026source
Majors & programs
ABAC's biggest academic area is its School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, where students use the college farm, forest and golf course as outdoor labs. The college also offers nursing, business, education and liberal arts degrees. The list below shows every degree in ABAC's program finder as of September 2026. Minors and certificates are listed on the official site.
Known for
Agribusiness and Agriculture (BS)
The core of the college's largest school. Students learn on the J.G. Woodroof Farm, and the college's agri-marketing team placed fourth in the U.S. and Canada at the 2026 NAMA national competition.
Known for
Natural Resource Management (BS)
Includes a forestry track accredited by the Society of American Foresters, with field work in nearby forest and lake land.
Known for
Agricultural Education (BS)
Prepares teachers for Georgia's school agriculture and FFA programs. ABAC says the program is professionally accredited.
Known for
Nursing (AS and RN to BSN)
Nursing is the college's largest single major. The associate degree leads to RN licensure, and the RN to BSN adds a bachelor's.
Known for
Rural Community Development (BS)
Grew out of ABAC's rural studies program, which uses the Georgia Museum of Agriculture as a teaching resource.
All degree programs at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (19)
George Busbee — Governor of Georgia 1975–1983 (attended before finishing at the University of Georgia) en.wikipedia.org
George T. Smith — the only person elected to all three branches of Georgia government: Lieutenant Governor, House Speaker and Supreme Court justice en.wikipedia.org
Cathy Cox — Georgia's first female Secretary of State, and later president of Young Harris College and of Georgia College & State University en.wikipedia.org
ABAC leaders discuss the history of the college and the Ag Expo · WALB News 10Renovation Historic Buildings At Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) · Farm MonitorGeorgia Museum Of Agriculture A Showcase Of State's Ag History · Farm MonitorHappy National FFA Week with ABAC · WALB News 10Rooted in Tradition, Focused on the Future: ABAC President Dr. Tracy Brundage on Agriculture, Gro... · Farm Monitor
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College: questions & answers
What is ABAC known for?
Agriculture and natural resources: agribusiness, forestry, agricultural education and horticulture. It is also known for nursing and for running the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village.
Is ABAC a four-year college?
Yes. ABAC became a state college in 2006 and has awarded bachelor's degrees since 2009. It still offers associate degrees, including nursing.
How big is ABAC?
About 3,800 undergraduates (3,825 in Fall 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Education). Campus apartments have room for about 1,400 students.
What division is ABAC in?
The NAIA. The Golden Stallions joined the Southern States Athletic Conference in 2024, after decades in junior-college (NJCAA) athletics.
Who was Abraham Baldwin?
A Georgia signer of the U.S. Constitution and the first president of the University of Georgia. The college took his name in 1933.
Can you visit the Georgia Museum of Agriculture?
Yes. It is open to the public at 1392 Whiddon Mill Road, south of the main campus off I-75, and charges admission. The steam train runs on Saturdays when the museum is open. Check gma.abac.edu for hours.
Does ABAC have a campus in Bainbridge?
Yes. After merging with Bainbridge State College in 2018, ABAC teaches classes at an instructional site in Bainbridge.
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