By expanding to four-year programs in some areas, Young Harris College has broadened educational opportunities for students in north Georgia.

The Towns County institution has a rich history of two-year programs, but its decision to become accredited for four-year tracks means that more college students can stay in the region to complete a bachelors degree, which is a plus for business and industry. That was one factor among many considered when the ramped-up accreditation was sought, says Cathy Cox, president of Young Harris College.

“The trend is not good for the sustainability of private, two-year colleges,” Cox says. “We have a strong endowment, but we don’t want to become a dinosaur in higher education. We wanted to assure the long-term viability of the college, as well as be a better economic development engine for the region.”

After almost two years of working with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to become accredited, Young Harris seated its first junior class in fall 2009. The school received approval for four majors: music, English, biology and business, and hopes to add others, eventually upping its 650-student enrollment to around 1,200.

The college’s staff is being expanded accordingly, and work continues on an ambitious, $75 million building project that includes a 200-bed residence hall, student recreation center and multiuse campus center.

“Look at the research done across the country and, without exception, communities that have a college are doing better than those without one,” Cox says. “Part of that is the job creation, but it’s also the cultural and other amenities a college brings to the region.”