In 1898, it became affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention. The name was shortened to Tift College in 1956.

Tift College merged with Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, in 1986. Mercer and the Tift College Alumnae Association joined together to form a partnership to preserve the legacy of Tift College. In 1987 the college was closed by Mercer. The Mercer University Board of Trustees voted to