Georgia Tech Mission Statement Analysis

• Institution: The Georgia Institute of Technology
• President: Ángel Cabrera
• Year founded: 1885
• Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• Number of Employees: 14,000
• Type: Public Research University
• Annual Revenue Operating Budget (2024): $2.74 Billion

Programs & Services: Undergraduate & Graduate Degrees | Online Programs | Experiential Education | Honors Program | Georgia Tech-Europe | ROTC | Vertically Integrated Projects | Academic Support | Career Services | Student Life Programs & Services | Health & Wellness | International Student Services

Competitors: MIT | Caltech | Stanford | UC Berkeley | University of Michigan | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Purdue | Virginia Tech | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | University of Texas at Austin | Worcester Polytechnic | University of Florida | University of Washington | UCLA | University of Southern California | Carnegie Mellon University | UPenn | Northwestern University | Johns Hopkins University

Did you know? Georgia Tech has the largest student enrollment of the University System of Georgia institutions.  

Georgia Tech (GT) is a public research and tech university founded in 1885 as the Georgia School of Technology. It was established as part of Reconstruction efforts to rebuild the Southern US after the Civil War. Georgia Tech’s mission, vision, and values differentiate the institution from competitors.

In FY2024, Georgia Tech’s revenue operating budget was $2.74 billion, up from $2,546 billion for 2023. This figure doesn’t include capital projects and affiliate organizations. It generated $1.66 billion from resident instruction, $849.8 million from Georgia Tech Research Institute, and $177.9 million from auxiliary services. Enterprise Innovation Institute and student activities delivered less than $30 million each. [1]

Georgia Tech is one of America’s top public research universities. It offers degrees in engineering, computing, design, business, liberal arts, and sciences. The school has over 47,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 54 US states and territories and over 143 countries. As of Jan 2025, Georgia Tech was #33 on US News’ 2025 Best Colleges and National Universities list. It has an acceptance rate of 16% and charges $12,058 in-state tuition and fees versus $34,484 for out-of-state students. [2]

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To understand Georgia Tech’s secret to success, here is an in-depth analysis of its mission statement, vision 2030, and values:

Georgia Tech’s Mission Statement

To develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. [3]

Here is our analysis of Georgia Tech’s mission statement:

1. Develop leaders

Georgia Tech aims to nurture responsible and innovative future leaders. The institution has comprehensive leadership programs. For example, Georgia Tech offers the Inclusive Leaders Academy (ILA). Its HR department announced the start of the 2025 ILA nomination in Jul 2024. ILA cultivates professional leadership and legacy development for Georgia Tech people leaders. Candidates will join over 550 previous cohort members as practicing Culture Champions after the program. [4]

2. Advance technology

Georgia Tech is committed to advancing technology and research. The institution achieves this mission by partnering with tech companies. For example, Duracell Inc. invested $56 million in Feb 2025 to establish its new R&D global headquarters at Georgia Tech’s Science Square. This leading US battery manufacturer will work at the school’s research innovation district and create 110 jobs. The deal solidifies Atlanta’s reputation as a hub for technological advancement. [5]

Georgia Tech is one of America’s leading tech universities. The institution offers world-class engineering and computing courses. It also advances tech by rewarding innovative students through the InVenture Prize.

In Mar 2025, Convexity Electronics won the 2025 InVenture Prize and pocketed $20,000. Teammates Calla Scotch (materials science and engineering), Anuj Pandey (mechanical engineering), and Atharva Lele (chemical and biomolecular engineering) developed an electronics 3D printer for producing 3D-printed circuit boards (PCBs) at scale. This groundbreaking invention will improve electronics manufacturing by enabling smaller circuitry, faster lead times, and compact devices. NextGenFile won second place and a $10,000 prize for their web-based platform that automates Leave of Absence filings for attorneys. [6]

3. Improve the human condition

Georgia Tech is committed to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology. The institution achieves this mission through targeted programs and projects. For example, Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) students solve complex problems presented by real-world clients to help improve the human condition. In 2021, the Watt-lanta team partnered with the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) to identify streets and neighborhoods that could benefit from streetlights. Another team collaborated with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) on the “Improving the Children’s Condition” project. “Georgia Tech ISyE students are equipped with the skills and knowledge to tackle opportunities in public service with the same passion and rigor they apply to private companies,” said ISyE Director of Professional Practice Dima Nazzal. [7]

Georgia Tech’s Vision 2030 Statement

Georgia Tech’s Vision 2030: “Inclusive Innovation for a Better Future.”

Georgia Tech launched its strategic plan (L.O.V.E. GT) in Nov 2020. L.O.V.E. GT helps the institution realize its community’s vision and values. It visualizes tangible strategies to fulfill the plan’s objectives. [8]

Georgia Tech seeks to be an example of inclusive innovation and a leading technological research university within a decade (2020-2030). The institution is committed to serving the public good and addressing local, national, and global challenges. It aims to make technology more accessible and develop exceptional leaders from all backgrounds to produce novel ideas and impactful solutions. For example, Georgia Tech adheres to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s statement: “Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.” The institution believes everyone can learn and contribute to the community’s progress and service. It strives to help everyone develop and access tech, ensuring technological solutions work for all.

Although Georgia Tech introduced its 2030 Vision Statement in 2020, the principles have guided the school since its founding in 1885. It was established to help industrialize Georgia and a war-torn American South. The institution has driven Atlanta’s emergence as a city of national and worldwide prominence for 140 years.

In 1996, Atlanta hosted the Centennial Olympic Games, showcasing its role as a global transportation and commerce hub and an incubator of transformative social and cultural movements. Georgia Tech and its home city have embraced diversity and all voices since the Civil Rights Movement. The school’s Vision 2030 reinforces its commitment to advancing inclusive innovation for a better future. [9]

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Georgia Tech’s Values and Beliefs

Georgia Tech’s values are the institution’s foundation and lodestar. These principles define the school’s priorities and aspirations as a community. They drive Georgia Tech’s decisions and apply to all members, from students to faculty, staff, alumnae, and affiliates. “Our strategy is guided by values, reinforced through culture,” states Georgia Tech. [10]

How does Georgia Tech live by its values?

• We strive for excellence: Georgia Tech aims to be the best technology and research provider and sets high expectations for its members and community. It believes educational excellence drives its ability to impact the world. The institution lives by this value by honoring talented members. For example, Georgia Tech recognized three inspiring women shaping its campus in Mar 2025. Carla Barbour, Heather Hardie, and Lindsey Cottingham are Georgia Tech’s alumnae and construction project They earned the Excellence Honor for guiding the institution’s Tech Square Phase 3, Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center, and the outdoor art installation Pathway of Progress: Celebrating Georgia Tech Women. [11]
• Students are our top priority: Georgia Tech is an educator first and believes research and creativity drive success as part of its educational mission. This value is reinforced by the school’s commitment to developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. For example, in Apr 2024, Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering partnered with NVIDIA to launch an AI supercomputer hub dedicated to teaching students. The AI Makerspace will help undergraduates access advanced computing resources reserved and cluster online during their coursework, deepening their AI skills through hands-on experience. [12]
• We thrive on diversity: Georgia Tech believes diversity of backgrounds and perspectives is essential to learning, discovery, and creation. The institution strives to remove barriers to tech access. It is also committed to building an inclusive community where everyone can learn regardless of their background. As of Jan 2025, Georgia Tech’s gender distribution was 60% male and 39.2% female, with 36% white, 33% Asian, 9% international, 8% Black, 8% Hispanic, and 5% mixed races. However, in Feb 2025, the institution announced plans to end programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). It removed DEI-related terms from its websites, drawing backlash from alumnae and the public. [13]
• We celebrate collaboration: Georgia Tech values constructive partnerships. The institution acknowledges its members’ contributions to promote civil and respectful discourse and help one another succeed. It enables and celebrates collaboration across disciplines, perspectives, units, departments, and external organizations. For example, Georgia Tech collaborated with AMSC in Oct 2024 to boost the STEM pipeline. The new partnership is funded by a $250,000 grant to create a seamless transfer pathway, enhancing social mobility and access to STEM education. [14]
• We champion innovation: Georgia Tech values new concepts and approaches that deliver creative ideas and solutions. The institution inspires, empowers, and provides the resources and environment for innovation to flourish. For example, Georgia Tech developed Science Square, offering a premier destination for life sciences and technology companies. In Sep 2024, its Tech AI hub partnered with the Center for Scientific Software Engineering (CSSE) to bridge the gap between academia and industry. This collaboration advances innovative, scalable AI solutions in the energy, mobility, supply chains, healthcare, and services sectors. [15]
• We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression: Georgia Tech believes diversity of ideas advances learning, discovery, scholarship, and creativity. The institution protects its members’ freedom to ask questions, seek truth, and express their views. It maintains several campus resources for freedom of expression. In 2025, Georgia Tech rose to #5 in FIRE’s College Free Speech ranking from 27. The institution retained its green light in FIRE’s Spotlight Rankings for maintaining zero policies that seriously threaten free speech. [16]
• We nurture the well-being of our community: Georgia Tech strives to build a healthy and vibrant environment that supports all members’ educational and career development. It aims to help all students grow holistically and develop self-awareness, knowledge, and practices to pursue purposeful, fulfilling lives. The school lives by this value by expanding its programs and campuses. In Sep 2024, Georgia Tech’s new College of Lifetime Learning committed to doubling its degrees granted and non-degree learners reached by 2030. The institution recorded a 44% increase in degree-seeking students, from 35,630 in 2019 to 51,431 in 2024. Its College of Lifetime Learning can propel this growth to 114,000 learners by 2030. [17]
• We act ethically: Georgia Tech values transparency and accountability and strives to earn and maintain the public trust. It sets high professional and ethical conduct standards for all community members, from students to staff and faculty. The institution applies this value in its decision-making. For example, in Sep 2024, Georgia Tech announced plans to end its research and educational partnerships in the Chinese cities of Tianjin and Shenzhen. The move came after the US Congress linked the partners with China’s military. [18]
• We are responsible stewards: Georgia Tech strives to be the best example of sustainability, efficiency, respect, and responsibility. The institution encourages all its community members to be stewards of resources. In May 2024, Georgia Tech earned a STARS Gold rating from the AASHE for its sustainability achievements. The institution launched Sustainability Next, the Georgia Tech Climate Action Plan distributed over $400,000 in seed grants for sustainability-related research and awarded over $150,000 to expand its sustainability-across-the-curriculum initiatives. [19]

References

1. Georgia Tech (2024, Jul 30). Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Budget Summary. GATech.edu
2. US News (2025, Jan 4). Best Colleges: Georgia Institute of Technology. USNews.com
3. Georgia Tech. About Us: Mission. GATech.edu
4. GT Human Resources (2024, Jul 25). Now Accepting Nominations for the 2025 Inclusive Leaders Academy. GATech.edu
5. Georgia Tech (2025, Feb 21). Duracell’s $56 Million Investment in Atlanta: A Boost for Georgia Tech and Innovation. GATech.edu
6. Georgia Tech (2025, Mar 13). Convexity wins the InVenture Prize with Electronics 3D Printer. GATech.edu
7. Georgia Tech (2021, Jul 14). Improving the Human Condition Through ISyE Senior Design. GATech.edu
8. Georgia Tech (2021, Jan 15). Strategic Plan: Vision 2030. GATech.edu
9. Georgia Tech (2022, Mar 3). Strategic Plan: Our Vision. GATech.edu
10. Georgia Tech. Strategic Plan: Our Values. GATech.edu
11. Georgia Tech (2025, Mar 19). Honoring Excellence: Three Inspiring Women Shaping the Georgia Tech Campus. GATech.edu
12. Georgia Tech (2024, Apr 10). Georgia Tech Unveils New AI Makerspace in Collaboration with NVIDIA. GATech.edu
13. DiRienzo, R. (2025, Feb 3). Georgia Tech facing backlash over policy banning DEI programs. FOX 5 Atlanta
14. Georgia Tech (2024, Oct 9). Georgia Tech and AMSC Collaboration to Boost STEM Pipeline. GATech.edu
15. Georgia Tech (2024, Sep 24). Tech AI and CSSE Partner to Bridge Academia and Industry for AI Innovation. GATech.edu
16. Georgia Tech (2024, Sep 6). Georgia Tech Rises in Free Speech Rankings. GATech.com
17. Georgia Tech News Center (2024, Sep 5). Georgia Tech Commits to Doubling Educational Reach. GATech.com
18. Martina, M. (2024, Sep 9). Georgia Tech ends China partnerships following concerns over military ties. Reuters
19. Georgia Tech (2024, May 16). Georgia Tech Earns STARS Gold Rating for Sustainability Achievements. GATech.edu
20. Featured Image by Umut Tülüoğlu