Education in the Robins Region

For listing of Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce member educational institutions, please click here.

Robins Region leaders and residents know that education is the key to the long-term success of our community. They demand the best, and the result is an abundance of top-ranked educational institutions for students from Pre-K to Ph.D.

Area children have access to a fine public school system that typically performs above state and national benchmarks. The area also has first-rate private schools that provide an educational environment tailored to particular religious or secular traditions, with some offering a seamless academic program from preschool to high school.

Higher education and career training opportunities are readily available in the Robins Region from Middle Georgia Technical College, Macon State College, Georgia Military College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Fort Valley State University, as well as several institutions within a 50-mile radius.
As a result of our community's emphasis on education, Houston County boasts a higher percentage of its population holding a high school diploma or higher (86.3 percent) than the state average (83.9 percent), while 24.6 percent of the population holds a bachelor's or graduate degree.

K-12 Public Education

Houston County School System

Houston County schools provide students with a quality education. Highly-qualified teachers, an academic focus, state-of-the-art equipment, and diverse extracurricular activities help to ensure that our students have the skills they need to succeed in today's competitive world. Systemwide, 38 schools serve the needs of approximately 28,150 students. The district employs more than 2,200 certified professionals, and 100 percent of our teachers and paraprofessionals are highly qualified. The Board is a leader in the state and nation. The Georgia School Boards Association has designated it a Distinguished Board for its proven pursuit of excellence.

From the Pre-Kindergarten program through Advanced Placement courses in which students may earn college credit, our schools emphasize what is important-the student. Students are provided with a comprehensive academic experience, with complete offerings in the fine arts, athletics, career and technical fields, and AFJROTC. At the high school level, students have the option to choose from a full range of college preparatory courses, including Advanced Placement courses in English, science, social studies and math. All schools are equipped with up-to-date tools and resources ideal for teaching a range of courses in academic, career tech, gifted, and special needs environments.

Houston County students' academic abilities shine through on a consistent basis, as they regularly outperform their comparison groups on standardized tests. For example, on the SAT, Houston County students score within a few points of the national average and Advanced Placement scores are typically at or above the global average. The effectiveness of area educators' academic programs is apparent with 23 of Houston County's schools having been named Georgia Schools of Excellence a total of 39 times since 1986. All five high schools have been named Advanced Placement STEM Schools.

The system is district accredited by the AdvancEd Accreditation Commission, the national commission that confers the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement accreditation seal. The schools offer equitable educational programs as a result of the applied standards which are checked annually. Every five years the district goes through re-accreditation by visiting educators. All schools also meet all standards established by the Georgia Department of Education.

District employees work to provide a premium education and superior facilities for an ever-growing student population which increases approximately 300 students per year. In 2011, the citizens of Houston County voted to extend an e-SPLOST, a one percent sales tax, to fund technology, safety and security and facilities improvements system-wide over five years, 2012 to 2017. This vote enables the Board of Education to provide the latest technology for students and teachers, as well as ensuring safer, more up-to-date facilities. Two new schools opened in 2013 and 2014, plus several schools received upgrades or renovations; a new stadium will open in 2016.

We work hard to meet the needs of the communities we serve, and we are supported by involved parents, businesses and civic organizations. Because of the cooperation and commitment of our community members, Houston County is a great place to learn, live, work and play.

1100 Main Street, Perry GA 31069
478-988-6200

www.hcbe.net

 

Independent Schools

Private education and tutoring, both independent and church-based, are widely available in the Robins Region. Many of these schools are accredited through a national or regional accreditation organization.

The Westfield School

The Westfield School offers a premier college preparatory curriculum in a Christian environment for pre-K through 12th grade. Fully accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/Southern Association of Independent Schools, Westfield is a school committed to core beliefs that include imparting a passion for learning, developing critical thinkers, providing opportunities for leadership development and community servants, and instilling the values of honor, integrity, and respect.

Academically, Westfield students consistently outperform their peers across Georgia and the nation on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and other standardized testing, with 100 percent of graduating students being accepted for admission into college each year. Socially, Westfield strives to lay the foundation for the development of productive citizens through extracurricular and interscholastic activities such as athletics, fine arts, and literary endeavors.

The school's 28-acre campus is located on U.S. Highway 41 South in Perry. The campus includes four academic buildings, media centers and libraries, an athletic complex, gymnasium, technology labs, an administrative building, and a multi-purpose gymnatorium for physical education and the fine and performing arts. An arts and sciences building houses science laboratories, foreign language labs, art instructional studios, and music instruction areas, along with a 250-seat recital hall. The school also offers a state-certified after-school program.

2005 Hwy. 41, Perry, GA 31069
478-987-0547
www.westfieldschool.org

 

Higher Education

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in its colleges of arts and sciences, aviation, business, and engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus at more than 170 campus centers in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Middle East, Asia, and through online learning.

The Warner Robins campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a campus within the Worldwide division of Embry-Riddle. ERAU-Robins offers the Bachelor of Science in Technical Management and Professional Aeronautics and the Master of Aeronautical Science degrees. Students may also complete certificate programs in safety, management, logistics, and supply chain management.

ERAU-Robins classes are conveniently offered in the evenings through traditional in-class teaching and via online learning or live Web-casting.

350 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd., Bldg. 380, Room 206
Robins AFB, GA 31098
478-926-1727
www.embryriddle.edu 

Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley State University is a public, senior, 1890 land-grant institution serving Georgia and the nation. Founded in 1895 as an institution to serve primarily the educational needs of students of African descent, the university provides instruction, research, and public and extension services consistent with its land-grant and public functions for all segments of the population to achieve their personal, educational, and professional goals.

Following the liberal arts and the land-grant traditions, the university provides diversified and challenging programs to meet educational needs resulting from societal changes. Fort Valley State University provides a learning and living environment that enables its graduates and all who come under its influence to become innovative and critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and responsible citizens.

The newly expanded Warner Robins Center of Fort Valley State University is open weekdays, weeknights, and Saturdays to serve those who may be working while pursuing their degrees and interests.

The Warner Robins Center offers graduate classes, undergraduate classes, and an ever-changing array of continuing education classes to help students move forward in their careers, prepare for a new career, or enrich their lives. The university is now offering six new bachelor's degree programs, including the B.S. in Computer Information Systems, B.S. in Computer Science, B.B.A. in Business Administration, B.S. in Middle Grades Education, B.S.W. in Social Work, and B.S. in Electronic Engineering Technology.

FVSU is now a Professional Learning Unit provider. Approved courses will note Continuing Education/Professional Learning Unit credits assigned. A CEU is a nationally accepted unit of credit for continuing education. Adults will receive one CEU for every 10 hours of class completed. Popular PLU/CEU courses include sign language, Spanish, grant writing, belly dancing, and fashion design. Certificate courses offered include Child Development Associate, wedding planning, and SCUBA. Courses that prepare students for medical certification exams include medical billing and coding, pharmacy tech, EKG tech, and phlebotomy tech.

Main Campus
1005 State University Dr., Fort Valley, GA 31030
478-825-6211
www.fvsu.edu

Warner Robins Center
151 Osigian Blvd., Ste. A, Warner Robins, GA 31088
478-953-0580

Georgia College & State University

Georgia College & State University is the state's designated public liberal arts university. GCSU is committed to combining the educational experiences typical of esteemed private liberal arts colleges with the affordability of public higher education.

The main campus in Milledgeville is a residential learning community that emphasizes undergraduate education along with selected graduate programs. Georgia College is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, a council of publicly funded institutions with a strong dedication to liberal arts.

The College of Business has offered classroom-based graduate programs in Warner Robins and Macon for more than 35 years. The school also offers a Web-only M.B.A. All business programs are accredited by AACSB International, the world's premier accrediting body for business. At Robins Air Force Base, the school offers M.B.A., M.P.A., and M.S.A. degrees in logistics management.

231 W. Hancock St., Milledgeville, GA 31061
800-342-0471
www.gcsu.edu

Georgia Military College

Since 1989, the Warner Robins campus of Georgia Military College has been educating the residents of Houston and surrounding counties. GMC-Warner Robins is an accredited two-year college offering associate degrees in a variety of majors. The school has a liberal admissions policy, accepting non-college prep diplomas and GEDs.

Tuition remains affordable and includes the use of textbooks. Free tutoring, one-on-one advising, and financial aid is available. GMC-Warner Robins also has small class sizes for better instruction and a convenient schedule of day, night, and weekend classes.

GMC-Warner Robins has two locations, the downtown campus (Elliott Hall) at 801 Duke Ave., and in the Residence Center, Bldg. 905, on Robins Air Force Base.

GMC-Warner Robins Junior College
801 Duke Ave., Warner Robins, GA 31093
Elliott Hall 478-225-0005
Robins AFB office 478-327-7375
http://robins.gmc.cc.ga.us

Macon State College

Central Georgians continue to discover the value of Macon State College's bachelor's degree programs. Since introducing baccalaureate programs more than a decade ago, Macon State has produced more than 2,000 graduates with four-year degrees. With about 90 percent of Macon State graduates continuing to live and work in the area, the college's four-year degrees represent an important investment in the region's economic, social, and cultural vitality.

Macon State's growing slate of bachelor's degree programs includes biology, business, communications, education, English, health information management, health services administration, history, information technology, interdisciplinary studies, mathematics, nursing, psychology, public service, and respiratory therapy.

More than 2,000 Macon State students take classes in Houston County, either at the Warner Robins Campus or at the Robins Resident Center at Robins Air Force Base. Students may choose from day, evening, and online classes.
Because Macon State is part of the University System of Georgia, tuition is affordable. The college's Financial Aid Office is committed to helping qualified students find scholarships and grants, including the Georgia HOPE Scholarship, Federal Student Aid Programs, and Macon State College Foundation scholarships.

State offers a well-rounded college environment. Student life includes opportunities to participate in more than 30 student organizations, publications, TV broadcasting, and intramural and recreational sports. The college also has a health clinic and a wellness program and provides academic, personal and career counseling.

100 College Station Dr., Macon, GA 31206
478-471-2800

100 University Blvd., Warner Robins, GA 31093
478-929-6700
www.maconstate.edu 

Mercer University

Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a dynamic and comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate, and professional education. The university enrolls more than 8,000 students in 11 schools and colleges --  liberal arts, law, pharmacy, medicine, business, engineering, education, theology, music, nursing, and continuing and professional studies --  on major campuses in Macon, Atlanta, and Savannah, and at three regional academic centers across the state.

Mercer is affiliated with two teaching hospitals -- Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah and the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon -- and has educational partnerships with Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Warner Robins and Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta.

The university operates Mercer University Press and The Grand Opera House, a performing arts center in Macon, and the Mercer Engineering Research Center in Warner Robins. Mercer is the only private university in Georgia to field an NCAA Division I athletic program.

Eight of the university's 11 colleges have a presence in Macon through the University's traditional undergraduate campus, School of Medicine, and Walter F. George School of Law. The university offers several undergraduate and graduate degrees for working adults in the fields of engineering, business, music, and education

The Mercer Engineering Research Center is an operating unit of Mercer University and employs more than 170 engineers, scientists, logisticians, and support staff from a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines. MERC provides engineering, scientific investigation, logistics and management support, and educational services to a broad range of government and commercial customers. The diversity of expertise of MERC's staff and its integrated product team approach increase efficiency and cost effectiveness while creating a unique environment for research, development, design, and analysis. Since its inception in 1987, MERC has exceeded $267 million in contract awards.
 
1400 Coleman Ave., Macon, GA 31207
800-637-2378
www.mercer.edu

MERC
135 Osigian Blvd., Warner Robins, GA 31088
478-953-6800
www.merc-mercer.org

Middle Georgia Technical College

Middle Georgia Technical College offers more than 100 different programs in the areas of aerospace, allied health, business, personal services, industrial technology, and information technology. Day, evening, and online classes are available. Job placement assistance and financial aid, including the HOPE Grant and HOPE Scholarship, are also available.

MGTC offers students the full college experience. The college offers club sports including basketball, soccer, and cheerleading. Additionally, the school offers many student organizations including Phi Beta Lambda, Association for Information Technology Professionals, Skills USA, and Student Leadership Council. Annually, the college serves more than 40,000 people through credit courses, continuing education, and economic development programs at the Warner Robins and Hawkinsville campuses.
 
80 Cohen Walker Dr., Warner Robins, GA 31088
478-988-6800
www.middlegatech.edu

Robins Residence Center

Robins Residence Center, located at Robins Air Force Base, provides undergraduate instruction in cooperation with the University System of Georgia. Macon State College offers instruction at the residence center.
 
78 FSS/FSDE
620 Ninth St., Room 159
Robins Air Force Base, GA 31098
478-327-7307

Other Nearby Colleges & Universities

Middle Georgia College
1100 Second St. SE, Cochran, GA 31014
478-934-6221
www.mgc.edu

Wesleyan College
4760 Forsyth Rd., Macon, GA 31210
800-447-6610
www.wesleyancollege.edu

Resources for Military Service Members

http://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/college-guide-servicemembers-and-veterans/