Best General Studies Schools Near McDonough, GA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

McDonough, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs. McDonough has a population of about 30,056. Median household income is $77,734 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $111,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to McDonough

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near McDonough, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from McDonough city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from McDonough. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Clayton State University

Morrow, GA 14.8 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,179
Avg net price $8,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Atlanta Metropolitan State College

Atlanta, GA 23.6 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,252
Avg net price $5,258/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Agnes Scott College

Decatur, GA 24.2 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,274
Avg net price $24,754/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA 25.5 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,384
Avg net price $15,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Herzing University-Atlanta

Atlanta, GA 25.6 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
23.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,909
Avg net price $21,679/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 36%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Spelman College

Atlanta, GA 25.9 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,993
Avg net price $38,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Emory University

Atlanta, GA 26.2 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,137
Avg net price $22,585/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 112

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Morris Brown College

Atlanta, GA 26.2 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
28.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Avg net price $24,901/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Georgia schools on the Georgia general studies page.

General Studies Wages Near McDonough

McDonough is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area (BLS area code 12060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $111,410 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $111,299
Management Analysts $101,220 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $101,119
Human Resources Specialists $75,410 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $75,335
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $79,030 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $78,951
Writers and Authors $81,990 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $81,908
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $77,210 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $77,133
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $69,990 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $69,920
Social and Community Service Managers $78,870 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $78,791

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

McDonough at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 30,056 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,734 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other McDonough-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near McDonough, GA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near McDonough. The closest is Clayton State University in Morrow, GA (14.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Atlanta Technical College (23.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near McDonough?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near McDonough are: General and Operations Managers ($111,410), Management Analysts ($101,220), Writers and Authors ($81,990). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Stockbridge instead of McDonough?

Stockbridge, GA is 7.5 miles from McDonough and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is McDonough an affordable place to study general studies?

McDonough’s median household income of $77,734 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McDonough while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in McDonough

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for McDonough:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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