Albany State University, is a four-year, state-supported, historically black university (HBCU) located in Albany, which is the county seat of Dougherty County, situated in the in the southwestern part of the US state of Georgia, and the the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area, Albany having a population estimated at a number of nearly 77 000 inhabitants, during the 2000 census.

Albany State University was established in 1903 and it is one of the 3 historically black universities in the University System of Georgia. It has an enrollment of more than 4000 students, to whom it offers more than 30 undergraduate degree programs and six advanced degrees, including the Board of Regents' engineering transfer program and the dual degree program in engineering with Georgia Tech. The Graduate school degree programs include: Criminal Justice, Health and Physical Education, Business Administration, Public Administration and Science Education.

According to U.S. News & World Report, ASU, as the university's name is often abbreviated, is 26th, along with Alcorn State University, among the 81 universities in the magazine’s first ranking of undergraduate education at HBCUs, and it is a 1st tier school on the list.

Athletics

ASU's athletic teams are known as the Golden Rams, who compete in NCAA Division II, in all the traditional college sports, for men and women, including in basektball, football, baseball, cheerleading, cross country, track and field, and volleyball. The Golden Rams have experienced success in many of the sports in which they compete, having a ''win portfolio'' which includes 6 SEAC Championships in football, won between '55 and '66, and dozens of SIAC Championships in all the sports in which they compete.

Notable Alumni

Among the most resonant names, on the list of notable alumni from ASU, there are: James Holmes - First African American Director of the US Census Bureau, Charles Jones - former National Basketball Association player who spent 15 years with various teams, Gregory Daniels - First African American VP of Nissan North America, and Caldwell Jones - ormer American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association center best known for his years with the Philadelphia 76ers.