“Private Georgia university founded 1878, home to the historic Brenau Women's College.”
Brenau University is a private institution founded in 1878 in Gainesville, Georgia, about fifty miles northeast of Atlanta in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Originally established as the Georgia Baptist Female Seminary, Brenau has evolved into a comprehensive university that preserves the Brenau Women's College as its signature undergraduate program while offering coeducational graduate, evening, and online degrees across four colleges. The university enrolls about 2,800 students from 48 U.S. states and 17 countries, drawn to its intimate classes, strong mentorship culture, and nationally regarded programs in nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and the fine arts. Academic life centers on the Ivester College of Health Sciences — home to the Mary Inez Grindle School of Nursing and the School of Occupational Therapy — alongside the College of Fine Arts & Humanities, the College of Business & Communication, and the College of Education. Terminal and doctoral offerings include the Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design, making Brenau a strong launching pad for students headed into clinical and creative professions. Small class sizes, faculty advisors who stay with students across their degree, and a deep clinical and performance-arts network across Atlanta round out the academic experience. Student life at Brenau blends a historic 57-acre red-brick campus with a tight-knit residential community centered on traditions such as May Day, Torchlight Ceremony, and the Alumnae Reunion. The university fields NCAA Division II athletics (the Golden Tigers), runs active theatre, dance, and music seasons, and provides dedicated mentorship for international students through the Miller Institute Global Student Mentors program. For international applicants, Brenau's combination of test-optional admission, rolling decisions, merit scholarships up to $17,000, and a dedicated international admissions team makes it an unusually accessible U.S. private university.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Occupational Therapy
US News Best Graduate Schools 2026
Occupational Therapy (Graduate)
U.S. News & World Report 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceRolling Admission — Fall
Rolling admission; early application recommended for housing and scholarship consideration
Rolling Admission — Spring
Spring intake deadline is approximate; apply early for I-20 processing
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$34,027
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
3 years
One of the Southeast's established OTD programs, combining early clinical rotations, campus OT labs, and capstone research with strong NBCOT pass rates.
3 years
CIDA-accredited terminal degree preparing graduates for practice and teaching, with studio-based mentorship in Gainesville and Atlanta.
4 years
Four-year pre-licensure nursing program at the Mary Inez Grindle School of Nursing, featuring simulation labs and clinical placements at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $34,027
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
