Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley State University is a public historically Black land-grant university located in Fort Valley, Georgia. A member of the University System of Georgia, it serves as the state’s 1890 land-grant institution. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across fields such as agriculture, business, education, health sciences, and the sciences. Fort Valley State University is known for its programs in agriculture and engineering technology, as well as its Cooperative Developmental Energy Program, which partners with energy companies to prepare students for careers in the industry. The campus spans more than 1,300 acres in Peach County and enrolls a predominantly African American student body, drawing students from across Georgia and beyond.

Fort Valley State University was founded in 1895 in Fort Valley, Georgia, as the Fort Valley High and Industrial School to provide education for African American students in the post-Reconstruction South. In 1939, the institution consolidated with the State Teachers and Agricultural College for Negroes of Forsyth to form Fort Valley State College. That same year, educator Horace Mann Bond became the first president and helped guide its early development. In 1947, the University System of Georgia transferred the state’s 1890 land-grant designation to Fort Valley State College, and in 1949 the Georgia General Assembly formally confirmed its land-grant status. Over the following decades, Fort Valley State University expanded its academic programs and facilities. In 1996, it achieved university status and adopted its current name, reflecting its broader mission and continued role in higher education in Georgia.