City: Atlanta, GA

Category: Education

Telephone: (404) 244-5090

Address: 3251 Panthersville Rd.

Description: Georgia Perimeter College, formerly DeKalb College, has more than 22,000 students divided among four campuses: Decatur, Clarkston, Lawrenceville, and Dunwoody. There is also a center with classrooms and a library in Conyers. Students work toward two-year associate’s degrees in arts, science, and applied science. The average age of the students is mid-20s; under the college’s flexible schedule, classes are offered in the day, evening, and on Saturdays, allowing students to earn their degree while fulfilling their responsibilities of work and family. A special College on TV program allows participating students to view classes and earn credits with a minimal number of visits to a campus. Two-thirds of students work more than 20 hours a week and attend college part time. Since Georgia Perimeter College, then DeKalb College, first held classes at its original Clarkston campus in 1964, more than a half-million students have passed through the system. Georgia Perimeter College is the third-largest college in the University System of Georgia, which includes all of the state-assisted institutions.