Emmanuel University

Emmanuel University is a private Christian university located in Franklin Springs, Georgia. Affiliated with the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, it was founded in 1919 and maintains a faith-based educational mission. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, and select graduate degrees across liberal arts and professional programs, including ministry, business, education, and health-related fields. With a rural campus setting, Emmanuel University serves a student body of just over 800 students and competes in NCAA Division II athletics as the Lions. The institution attracts students seeking a Christ-centered academic environment combined with small class sizes and a close-knit campus community.

Emmanuel University was founded in 1919 in Franklin Springs, Georgia, as the Franklin Springs Institute under the leadership of Reverend George Floyd Taylor. Originally offering secondary education along with limited college coursework, the institution faced temporary closure during the Great Depression in 1931. It reopened in 1933 under President Thomas Lee Aaron, who helped shift its focus toward junior college education. In 1939, the school was renamed Emmanuel College. Accreditation milestones followed, including recognition as a two-year college by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1967 and approval as a four-year institution in 1991. Over the following decades, Emmanuel University expanded its academic programs and campus facilities. On July 10, 2023, Emmanuel College officially became Emmanuel University, reflecting its broader academic offerings and continued development as a Christian institution in northeast Georgia.