Paine College

Private · Moderately Selective · GA

Photo: Unknown (published in "An Era of Progress and Promise, 1863-1910", ed. W. N. Hartshorn and George W. Penniman) (Public domain)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationGA · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads388

Student:faculty11:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate4.5%

6-yr grad rate14.4%

Drop-out rate46.4%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$15k

Out-of-state tuition$15k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity100%

Gender diversity58%

International0%

IdentityHBCU · United Methodist

Overview

Paine College is a small historically Black college in Augusta, Georgia, founded in 1882 through a joint effort between the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (now the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church) — an unusual dual-denomination origin that still shapes its identity. It offers a liberal arts foundation alongside business and science programs, with Methodist heritage embedded in campus culture and mission.

Campus & student life

The campus sits in Augusta, a mid-sized Georgia city, and student life centers on a small, tight-knit community where faculty and staff know students personally. Religious life connected to the college's Methodist founding remains part of campus culture, alongside HBCU traditions like choir, Greek life, and homecoming.

Getting in

Paine's admissions approach is access-oriented, consistent with its founding mission, and the college has historically served students who might be the first in their family to attend college, with support structures built around that population.

Worth knowing

Paine has faced real financial pressures in recent years, as many small private HBCUs have, and prospective students and families should look into the college's current financial and accreditation standing directly; its long history and close-knit size remain genuine strengths even amid institutional strain.

paine.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate95.4%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying