Savannah State University is a four-year, state-supported, historically black university (HBCU) located in Savannah, Georgia. Savannah State holds the distinction as the oldest public historically black university in Georgia. Savannah State University's mission statement is "to graduate students who are prepared to perform at higher levels of economic productivity, social responsibility, and excellence in their chosen career fields of endeavor in a changing global community." Savannah State operates three colleges (College of Business Administration, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, College of Sciences and Technology) and the Office of Graduate Studies and Sponsored Research (OGSSR). It also operates four research centers (Center for Teaching, Learning and Academic Support, Savannah Entrepreneurial Center, The Midtown Project, and "A Collaboration to Integrate Research and Education in Marine and Environmental Science and Biotechnology" with the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, part of the University System of Georgia. Savannah State was ranked fourth tier in the U.S. News & World Report America's Best Colleges 2008 (Universities–Master's (South) category).