Education   |    Technical Training

Union County Public Schools
Union County schools are among the best in the State of Georgia as evidenced by our consistently high test scores and numerous Governor’s awards and other recognitions. The 2001 State Report Card, which ranks the 182 school systems throughout Georgia, revealed that Union County Elementary School third graders were ranked "Number One" in the state. Union County Elementary School was a bronze award winner for having the highest percentage of students meeting and exceeding standards in the 2007 Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS) Awards and Union County High School received a gold award for having the greatest gains in the 2008 SSAS Awards. Union County Elementary School Principal Martha Burtz Hale in 2008 was named one of 112 High Performance Principals in the state.

The Union County Public School System currently operates 5 public schools and is the fiscal agent for the Union County Head Start Program, and the Pre-Kindergarten Program. A new $8.4-million Union County Middle School on Wellborn Street began operations in August 2006, and a new high school opened in 2005.

In the 2005-2006 school year, K-12 the beginning enrollment was 2,559. In the previous year, the system graduated 147 students.  This represents a high school completion rate of 87%. The per-Full Time Equivalent (FTE) student expenditure for 2004-2005 was $7,380 and the pupil/teacher ratio was 13:1.

All Union County schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and by the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC).  For additional information about the Union County School System , visit the Board of Education website.

Area Senior Colleges
Blairsville and Union County are within 2 hours drive of dozens of area research and liberal arts universities in North Georgia, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.  The University System of Georgia supports Georgia business with a multitude of technical assistance and outreach services that are available locally.

Young Harris College  website  
Located 9 miles east of Blairsville in Young Harris, Georgia, Young Harris College is a coed, residential, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

North Georgia College and State University website 
Located 30 miles southwest of Blairsville in Dahlonega, Georgia, North Georgia College and State University is a Senior and Master's unit of the University System of Georgia.

Brenau University website 
Located 55 miles south in Gainesville, Georgia, Brenau University
is a Senior and Master's+ private independent non-profit college.

Piedmont College website 
Located 70 miles east in Demorest, Georgia, Piedmont College
is a Senior and Master’s private independent non-profit college.

Reinhardt College website
Located 75 miles southwest at Waleska, Georgia, Reinhardt College
is a Senior United Methodist college.

Georgia State University website
Located 114 miles south of Union County in Atlanta, Georgia State
is a Senior and Doctorate unit of the University System of Georgia.

Georgia Institute of Technology website
Georgia Tech, located in Atlanta 110 miles south of Blairsville, is a residential
and coeducational Senior and Doctorate unit of the University System of Georgia.
It is a nationally-ranked engineering school and research institute.

University of Georgia website
Georgia's largest university is located 85 miles south of Blairsville at Athens. The
University of Georgia is a Senior and Doctorate unit of the University System of Georgia.

Toccoa Falls College website
Toccoa Falls College is an independent non-profit private
Senior college located 80 miles east at Toccoa Falls, Georgia.

Western Carolina University website
A member of the University of North Carolina system, Western Carolina University provides an education to more than 9,000 students from 38 states and 32 countries. The university is located in Cullowhee, NC, about 74 miles northeast of Union County.

University of North Carolina-Asheville website
The only designated liberal arts institution in the 16-campus University of North Carolina system, the University of North Carolina-Asheville is about 120 miles from Union County.

Clemson University website
Clemson University, one of the country’s top public universities, combines the best of small-college teaching and big-time science, engineering and technology. Located in Clemson, S.C., the university is about 87 miles from Union County.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga website
Located near downtown Chattanooga, approximately 100 miles from Union County, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is one of a growing number of institutions characterizing themselves as "metropolitan universities," dedicated to meeting the general and professional educational needs of area residents, strong community involvement and leadership, and emphases on applied research and public service.

Junior Colleges - Two-Year
North Georgia Technical College website
North Georgia Technical College was accredited in 2008 to offer two-year associate
degrees as well as technical certificates and diplomas. The Blairsville campus is
located on GA 515 on the west side of Blairsville across from Meeks Park.

Truett McConnell College website
Located 33 miles south at Cleveland, Georgia, Truett McConnell College is a Baptist two-year college.

Gainesville State College website
Located 55 miles south at Gainesville, Georgia, Gainesville
College is a two-year unit of the University System of Georgia