Emmanuel College ranked No. 1 for student athletic participation in the state, according to a Georgia Business Daily analysis of college sports participation.
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education collects athletics data annually from all institutions with intercollegiate athletics programs that receive funding through federal financial aid programs. Data for 2016 – the latest year available – includes more than 2,000 schools nationwide.
The number of Emmanuel College students taking part in athletic programs was 526 – 300 men and 226 women – representing the largest contingent of student athletes in Georgia.
In all, there are 12,687 students – 7,362 men and 5,325 women – playing on athletic teams at 57 colleges and universities in the state.
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Colleges with the most student athletes
Rank | School | Division | Total Undergraduates | Male Student Athletes | Female Student Athletes | Total Number of Student Athletes |
1 | Emmanuel College | NCAA Division II without football | 743 | 300 | 226 | 526 |
2 | Berry College | NCAA Division III with football | 2,046 | 303 | 207 | 510 |
3 | Shorter University | NCAA Division II with football | 1,212 | 336 | 149 | 485 |
4 | Point University | NAIA Division II | 1,219 | 292 | 162 | 454 |
5 | University of Georgia | NCAA Division I-FBS | 26,252 | 232 | 216 | 448 |
6 | Mercer University | NCAA Division I-FCS | 4,012 | 258 | 157 | 415 |
7 | Reinhardt University | NAIA Division II | 1,223 | 296 | 114 | 410 |
8 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | NCAA Division I-FBS | 13,698 | 262 | 138 | 400 |
9 | Georgia Southern University | NCAA Division I-FBS | 15,912 | 227 | 161 | 388 |
10 | Kennesaw State University | NCAA Division I-FCS | 24,171 | 206 | 182 | 388 |
11 | Savannah College of Art
and Design | NAIA Division II | 8,400 | 163 | 221 | 384 |
12 | Georgia State University | NCAA Division I-FBS | 19,062 | 219 | 159 | 378 |
13 | Emory University | NCAA Division III without football | 6,639 | 185 | 187 | 372 |
14 | LaGrange College | NCAA Division III with football | 854 | 229 | 113 | 342 |
15 | Valdosta State University | NCAA Division II with football | 7,148 | 225 | 102 | 327 |
16 | Brewton-Parker College | NAIA Division I | 404 | 224 | 96 | 320 |
17 | University of West Georgia | NCAA Division II with football | 8,958 | 197 | 119 | 316 |
18 | Young Harris College | NCAA Division II without football | 1,102 | 174 | 142 | 316 |
19 | Piedmont College | NCAA Division III without football | 1,177 | 165 | 134 | 299 |
20 | Savannah State University | NCAA Division I-FCS | 4,108 | 209 | 85 | 294 |
21 | Oglethorpe University | NCAA Division III without football | 1,112 | 175 | 116 | 291 |
22 | Life University | NAIA Division I | 531 | 126 | 133 | 259 |
23 | Albany State University | NCAA Division II with football | 2,187 | 168 | 75 | 243 |
24 | Columbus State University | NCAA Division II without football | 4,753 | 106 | 126 | 232 |
25 | Truett McConnell University | NAIA Division II | 692 | 121 | 110 | 231 |
26 | Covenant College | NCAA Division III without football | 973 | 125 | 102 | 227 |
27 | Clark Atlanta University | NCAA Division II with football | 2,986 | 147 | 73 | 220 |
28 | Georgia Military College | NJCAA Division I | 4,364 | 147 | 73 | 220 |
29 | University of North Georgia | NCAA Division II without football | 12,349 | 100 | 106 | 206 |
30 | Fort Valley State University | NCAA Division II with football | 1,993 | 134 | 66 | 200 |
31 | Augusta University | NCAA Division II without football | 4,078 | 100 | 97 | 197 |
32 | Georgia College and State University | NCAA Division II without football | 5,519 | 90 | 96 | 186 |
33 | Middle Georgia State University | NAIA Division I | 4,657 | 86 | 87 | 173 |
34 | Thomas University | NAIA Division II | 458 | 100 | 72 | 172 |
35 | Georgia Southwestern State University | NCAA Division II without football | 1,759 | 94 | 77 | 171 |
36 | Brenau University | NAIA Division I | 1,038 | 149 | 149 | |
37 | Andrew College | NJCAA Division I | 266 | 70 | 66 | 136 |
38 | Clayton State University | NCAA Division II without football | 3,456 | 75 | 61 | 136 |
39 | Georgia Gwinnett College | NAIA Division I | 8,020 | 69 | 50 | 119 |
40 | Emory University-Oxford College | NJCAA Division III | 976 | 61 | 46 | 107 |
41 | South Georgia State
College | NJCAA Division I | 1,597 | 61 | 45 | 106 |
42 | Dalton State College | NAIA Division I | 3,209 | 49 | 52 | 101 |
43 | Toccoa Falls College | NCCAA Division II | 729 | 58 | 42 | 100 |
44 | College of Coastal Georgia | NAIA Division I | 2,111 | 26 | 59 | 85 |
45 | Abraham Baldwin
Agricultural College | NJCAA Division I | 2,489 | 42 | 42 | 84 |
46 | Paine College | NCAA Division II without football | 389 | 43 | 38 | 81 |
47 | Gordon State College | NJCAA Division I | 2,432 | 43 | 37 | 80 |
48 | East Georgia State College | NJCAA Division I | 2,228 | 49 | 27 | 76 |
49 | Georgia Highlands College | NJCAA Division I | 2,698 | 42 | 28 | 70 |
50 | West Georgia Technical College | NJCAA Division III | 1,585 | 48 | 22 | 70 |
51 | Albany Technical College | NJCAA Division I | 1,369 | 21 | 11 | 32 |
52 | Central Georgia Technical College | NJCAA Division I | 2,290 | 16 | 14 | 30 |
53 | Georgia Northwestern Technical College | USCAA | 1,522 | 12 | 17 | 29 |
54 | South Georgia Technical College | NJCAA Division I | 851 | 15 | 12 | 27 |
55 | Atlanta Metropolitan State College | NJCAA Division I | 1,115 | 12 | 12 | 24 |
56 | Carver Bible College | NCCAA Division I | 34 | 14 | 9 | 23 |
57 | Southern Crescent
Technical College | NJCAA Division III | 1,542 | 15 | 7 | 22 |