Education & Workforce

Pre-K-12 Public Education

The District’s SY-23/24 enrollment stands at 35,890 students, a slight decrease from SY 22/23, which was 36,007 students. The district encompasses 56 schools, including 23 elementary schools, 8 K-8 schools, 8 middle schools, 11 high schools, and a virtual academy for students in grades 3–11. Additionally, the district supports 5 charter schools and 8 other educational centers. The School District continues to enhance its educational offerings through facility improvements funded by the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. Recent projects include a new Jenkins High School, two new District stadiums at Islands High School and the School of Liberal Studies at Savannah High, a new auditorium at Beach High School, and a K-12 Multi-School Campus on the site of the former Groves High School. The New Hampstead K-8 school in western Chatham County opened in January 2022. Two schools have earned the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School status for academics: Garrison School for the Arts and Jacob G. Smith Elementary. Additionally, Gadsden Elementary and Godley Station K8 have been recognized as National Green Ribbon Schools for their environmental sustainability efforts. The District’s STEM Academy at Bartlett has been named the top STEM Middle School Program in the nation, and Virginia L. Heard Elementary Academy is the only State of Georgia STEM-certified elementary school in the District. SCCPSS has also steadily improved its graduation rate, surpassing the state average for the past five years. The current graduation rate is 88.2% (SY 23-24), exceeding the state rate for the ninth consecutive year. For more information, please visit sccpss.com. 

Private Schools:

Both faith-based and secular private schools in Savannah offer classes from pre-K through 12th grade, with school sizes ranging from 24 students to 1,372 and annual tuition costs varying from $3,500 to $26,325. These institutions provide rigorous academic programs designed to prepare students for college, including advanced placement courses, International Baccalaureate programs, and comprehensive college preparatory curriculums. Additionally, they emphasize character development, leadership, experience-based learning, and community service. Many schools also offer specialized programs in STEM education, the arts, and environmental sustainability, contributing to a diverse and well-rounded educational experience. For more information on the specific programs and opportunities available at each school, you can visit our member directory, which provides detailed profiles, contact information, and direct links to the schools’ websites.

Higher Education:

Colleges, Universities and Technical Schools Over 74,000 students are enrolled in the 17 institutions of higher learning in and around the Savannah area. While several of these schools consistently produce graduates who contribute to the region, others are recent newcomers attracted to the demands for advanced learning created by Savannah’s vibrant and growing economy.

Georgia Southern University (GSU):

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers approximately 140 degree programs serving nearly 26,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Savannah, Statesboro, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and relevant, career-focused, hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. www.georgiasouthern.edu

Coastal Georgia Center:

Operated by Savannah State University, the Coastal Georgia Center offers a convenient location in historic downtown Savannah with a professional environment for students enrolled in graduate- level courses in business, public administration and social work. The center is an outreach component of the University System of Georgia, promoting economic development and provides accommodation for meetings, seminars and regional conferences. www.savannahstate.edu/cgc/

Georgia Tech Savannah:

The Savannah campus of Georgia Tech provides professional education to the Southeastern part of Georgia working in partnership with industry and K-12 outreach. It also is the home to many parts of Georgia Tech which include the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC), the Enterprise Innovation Institute, the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP), the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC). The Savannah Campus also has an applied research component to its mission working with industry to help solve problems in Supply Chain, Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace and Resiliency just to name a few areas. The GT Savannah Campus works with local, regional and national/international business and citizens for impact in the region. savannah.gatech.edu

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers:

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university conferring bachelor’s and master’s degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers more than 100 degree programs in more than 75 disciplines across its locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning. With more than 45,000 alumni worldwide, SCAD demonstrates an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. The diverse student body, consisting of more than 15,000 students, comes from across the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Each student is nurtured and motivated by a faculty of more than 700 professors with extraordinary academic credentials and valuable professional experience. These professors emphasize learning through individual attention in an inspiring university environment The innovative SCAD curriculum is enhanced by advanced, professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources, as well as opportunities for internships, professional certifications and collaborative projects with corporate partners. Visit www.scad.edu

Savannah State University:

Established in 1890, Savannah State University (SSU) – a four-year institution – is one of the University System of Georgia’s longest-standing institutions. It is also the oldest public historically black college or university (HBCU) in Georgia and the oldest institution of higher learning in the historic city of Savannah. SSU has a diverse student body of approximately 3,700. It offers 30 undergraduate degree majors and five graduate degree programs in four colleges – Business Administration, Sciences and Technology, and Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Education. The institution also offers distinctive programs such as Forensic Science, International Business, Marine Sciences, and Homeland Security and Emergency Management. SSU hosts one of the only 15 Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) units at an HBCU. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the university and its research programs regularly attract major grants from federal agencies and private institutions. www.savannahstate.edu

Savannah Technical College (STC):

Savannah Technical College serves Coastal Georgia with quality, market-driven technical education with campus locations in Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties. Serving more than 10,000 credit and non-credit students annually, Savannah Tech offers nearly 150 different instructional programs in Aviation Technology, Business and Professional Services, Industrial Technology, and Health Sciences in addition to Adult Education classes, industry-specific training and continuing education. The College serves as an economic and community development partner for the region, offering corporate and customized training and assessment programs for business and industry. Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award the associate degree, diplomas, and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, 1866 Southern Lane Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling 404-679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Saint Leo University:

Founded in 1889, Saint Leo offers several programs at its Savannah Education Center. According to U.S. News & World Report, Saint Leo has been named one of the best regional colleges in the South, and it is an accredited top Catholic university in the nation. The Savannah campus offers an Associate Degree program for Arts, Bachelor’s Degree programs for both Arts and Sciences, and Master’s for Sciences and Business Administration. www.saintleo.edu

South University:

South University’s Savannah campus dates from 1899, when Dr. John Draughon established Draughon’s Practical Business College in Savannah. A four-year institution accredited by SACS, it offers associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and Doctoral degree programs through the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Health Professions, Business, and Nursing. Several locations are established throughout the nation alongside accessible, fully online degree programs, as well. southuniversity.edu

University of Phoenix:

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the Savannah campus offers fully online or in-class associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in several areas such as arts and sciences, business and management, criminal justice and security, education, human services, nursing and healthcare, psychology, and technology. phoenix.edu

Several additional institutions of higher learning have opened advanced degree and certificate programs in metro Savannah:

• Embry-Riddle offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in management of technical operations, aircraft maintenance, aviation maintenance management and professional aeronautics and a master’s degree in aeronautical science at its Savannah Center at Hunter Army Airfield and an affiliated campus in Pooler, Ga. www.erau.edu
• Strayer University campus in Savannah opened on November 19, 2008 and provides undergraduate and graduate degree programs in high-demand fields: accounting, business, criminal justice, education, general studies, health services administration, information systems and public administration. www.strayer.edu/georgia/savannah
• Webster University has campuses that opened at Hunter Army Airfield in 2002 and Ft. Stewart in 2003. Webster University is a private, nonprofit, regionally accredited university, with an international presence. It provides graduate degree programs to military personnel and working adults. www.webster.edu