
South University-Savannah Online is the online reporting unit associated with South University, whose roots are in Savannah, Georgia. Its history should be understood as part of the university's history, not as the history of a separate university founded specifically for online study.
South University traces its origins to Draughon's Practical Business College, established in Savannah in 1899. The institution later expanded beyond business training, adopted the South University name, and developed programs in areas including health care, business, technology, and public service. Its online offerings extended access beyond the Savannah area. Applicants comparing historical accounts or statistics should check whether they describe the university as a whole, the Savannah campus, or the Savannah Online reporting unit.
South University-Savannah Online offers programs through South University's academic structure rather than through a separate set of online-only faculties. The university organizes its offerings in areas that include business, health professions, nursing, information technology, legal studies, and public service.
Representative fields associated with the online unit include business administration, accounting, information science, criminal justice, psychology, public health, health care administration, and nursing. South University offers credentials at multiple levels, but a field's appearance in an institutional program directory does not mean every degree or concentration is open to every online applicant. Nursing and other health programs may also require clinical placements, licensing checks, or in-person activities. Applicants should use the current catalog entry for their intended credential - not a university-wide list - to establish its curriculum and delivery requirements.
South University-Savannah Online is associated with Savannah, Georgia, but its principal distinction for students is online delivery. An applicant generally need not live in Savannah to take an online course, although a particular program may impose location-dependent requirements.
Savannah is a coastal city with a separate South University campus presence. Prospective online students should not assume that campus facilities, classes, or services are automatically part of their enrollment. Clinical placements, practicums, exams, or professional licensure rules can make a student's home state more consequential than the institution's Georgia address. Before enrolling from another state, confirm that the specific program accepts students there and can accommodate any required field experience.
South University describes its educational purpose in terms of career-focused learning and preparation for professional and personal development. That is the university's stated aim, not an independently verified outcome for every student or program.
The breadth of its business, public service, technology, and health offerings reflects that professional emphasis. For an online applicant, the practical question is how the intended program puts the mission into effect: its course sequence, faculty contact, academic support, and any supervised practice requirements matter more than a general statement of purpose.
Name of the institution
South University-Savannah OnlineLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
City: MidsizeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
5,000 - 9,999South University-Savannah Online is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Post-master's certificate
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
Doctor's degree - professional practiceData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.