Study abroad at Macon

Macon is a historic, charming, and rapidly revitalizing college town and healthcare hub in Central Georgia along the Ocmulgee River (known as 'The Heart of Georgia'), situated just 75 minutes south of Downtown Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). Celebrated for its rich musical heritage (birthplace of Little Richard, Otis Redding, and The Allman Brothers Band), the International Cherry Blossom Festival (featuring over 350,000 blooming Yoshino cherry trees every spring), Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (ancient Native American earthworks dating back 12,000 years), and major regional aerospace, defense, and healthcare industries (Atrium Health Navicent and Robins Air Force Base). Macon is the flagship historic home of Mercer University (founded in 1833, one of America's oldest and most prestigious private doctoral Carnegie R2 research universities, ranked in the US Top 160 National Universities by US News & World Report with over 9,000 students across a beautiful 150-acre classical redbrick campus). Mercer University is globally celebrated for the School of Engineering (ABET-accredited Biomedical, Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, and Computer Engineering with high-tech robotics labs), School of Medicine (pioneering rural and community healthcare), Stetson-Hatcher School of Business (AACSB-accredited), College of Pharmacy, and School of Law, alongside Middle Georgia State University (MGA - home to Georgia's official flagship School of Aviation with commercial pilot training fleets) and Wesleyan College (the world's first chartered college for women, founded in 1836). Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from close faculty mentorship (13:1 student-to-faculty ratio), generous Mercer International Merit Scholarships ($12,000 to $25,000/year), low living costs, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in Macon for international undergraduate students at Mercer University range between $40,500 and $42,800 per academic year for School of Engineering, Computer Science, Stetson Business, and Pre-Med (with Mercer awarding generous automatic International Merit Scholarships such as the Mercer Presidential and Heritage Scholarships discounting $12,000 to $25,000/year from tuition, bringing net tuition down to approx. $16,500–$28,500/year). At Middle Georgia State University (MGA), undergraduate tuition is approx. $15,500/year (with aviation flight fees billed per flight hour). Postgraduate Master's degrees at Mercer range from $14,000 to $24,000 per year. Modern on-campus university residences (Mercer Legacy Hall, Plunkett Hall, Greek Village, Mercer Lofts) cost between $650 and $1,150 per month (inclusive of meal plans, utilities, and high-speed Wi-Fi), while off-campus student apartments in Downtown Macon, College Hill, and Mercer Village range from $500 to $850 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $700 and $1,150.

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses minus scholarship awards), the Office of International Programs (Mercer OIP) issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization).