More students than ever before are choosing Georgia Piedmont Technical College.
This fall, GPTC reached an all-time high in credit enrollment, serving more than 4,100 students and continuing a stretch of record-setting growth.
The milestone follows a year in which Georgia Piedmont led the Technical College System of Georgia in percentage enrollment growth and entered Fall 2026 with the strongest enrollment momentum in the system.
This fall, GPTC is serving about 4,186 credit students, up from 3,692 at the end of Fall 2025—more than a 13 percent increase.
That growth is meaningful to President Dr. Tavarez Holston because of the people behind it.
“We’re not just celebrating record enrollment. We’re celebrating what those numbers represent: thousands of people who see Georgia Piedmont as their way forward,” Holston said. “Our faculty and staff have worked incredibly hard to get us here, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together. But what motivates me most is knowing how many more lives we have the opportunity to impact.”
The fall growth builds on an exceptional spring term.
Georgia Piedmont served 5,283 students during the academic year, compared with 4,609 the year before. That 14.6 percent increase was the largest percentage enrollment gain among TCSG’s 22 colleges.
Across the Technical College System of Georgia, total enrollment grew 6.6 percent during the same period.
The college’s growth is also showing up in the classroom. Credit hours are up significantly this fall, indicating not only more students enrolling, but students taking more coursework as they move toward certificates, diplomas and degrees.
As enrollment climbs, Vice President for Student Affairs Kristin Corkhill said the focus is making sure students are supported after they arrive.
“Enrollment is a number, but our students are never numbers to us,” Corkhill said. “Every student who chooses Georgia Piedmont is placing trust in us to help them move toward a goal. Our job is to make sure they feel supported from their first interaction with the college through graduation and that they have the resources, direction and encouragement they need along the way.”
That emphasis on the student experience has become even more important as Georgia Piedmont grows its influence throughout its service area.
The college continues to expand training opportunities connected to high-demand careers in areas such as advanced manufacturing, healthcare, cybersecurity, transportation, skilled trades and electric vehicle technology.
Recent infrastructure and facility investments have also created new opportunities for students, including the opening of the Regional Transportation Training Center in Stonecrest and the launch of classes at GPTC’s Electric Vehicle Career Center in partnership with Restoration Storehouse in Conyers.
For Holston, those developments and the college’s enrollment growth are closely connected to Georgia Piedmont’s workforce mission.
We should be proud of what we’ve accomplished, but we can’t become satisfied with where we are,” Holston said. “Our region needs skilled workers, our employers need talent, and our communities need access to more opportunity. We’ve shown what is possible when Georgia Piedmont comes together. Now we have to keep moving forward.
With record enrollment and continued growth, Georgia Piedmont is entering the year with plenty to celebrate — and even more still to accomplish.