Titus was born in Thomasville, Georgia to parents of Greek descent and raised as Greek Orthodox. She grew up in Tifton. Her first exposure to politics came at an early age, when her father, Joe Titus, ran for the Tifton City Council. Her uncle, Theo Titus, served in the Georgia House of Representatives for many years. She attended a summer program at The College of William & Mary and was admitted full-time for the fall – without a high school diploma. There, she studied political science. After earning her bachelor's degree from William and Mary, Titus went on to earn a master's degree from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. from Florida State University.