Fort Valley State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Fort Valley, Georgia. It enrolls 2,684 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
71/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes33
Value76
Affordability94
Selectivity37
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Fort Valley State University admits 65.9% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
65.9%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
930 – 1070
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
19 – 24
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Fort Valley State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
11.0 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $10,338 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$5,526
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$16,932
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,100
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,768
Books & Supplies
$1,400
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,000
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,850
Total Cost of Attendance
$19,879
Application fee: $20 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$9,017
$30,001 – $48,000
$9,021
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,502
$75,001 – $110,000
$15,571
Over $110,000
$16,914
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$9,50025%percentile
$31,000Medianpercentile
$39,75075%percentile
$51,45690%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $20,250
↓ $10,750
No Pell $11,000
↓ $20,000
Dependent students $19,000
↓ $12,000
Independent students $20,136
↓ $10,864
Female students $21,250
↓ $9,750
Male students $16,000
↓ $15,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($31,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
37% of students who start here finish within six years, and 76% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
37%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
76%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $36,666 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$36,666
Earning > $25K
60%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$32,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$36,800
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$31,900
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$35,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$38,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
25.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Concerning. Only 46% of graduates are actively reducing principal even seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,684 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 34% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
2,684
Part-Time
9%
First-Generation
34%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 92.3%2,476
Hispanic 3.1%82
Other 2.9%77
White 1.3%35
Asian 0.2%5
International 0.2%4
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Fort Valley State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Fort Valley State University offers
a varied set of programs:
31 distinct programs across
18 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 18 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
18:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,126
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$13M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$70,796
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
115 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
33
29%
$81,958
Associate Professors
25
22%
$76,976
Assistant Professors
37
32%
$66,864
Instructors
10
9%
$51,977
Lecturers
5
4%
$59,951
No Rank
5
4%
$40,045
Pros & Cons of Fort Valley State University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Fort Valley State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Higher than typical student debt at graduation
Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Valley State University
The questions families ask most about Fort Valley State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Fort Valley State University hard to get into?
Admissions at Fort Valley State University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 65.9%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Fort Valley State University?
65.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Fort Valley State University?
Aim for 1070 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 930 and 1070 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Fort Valley State University?
Aim for 24 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 19 and 24 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Fort Valley State University cost?
Budget around $10,338 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Fort Valley State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $36,666 a year against a net price of $10,338, about 3.5 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Fort Valley State University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Psychology, Biology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Fort Valley State University graduates earn?
About $36,666 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Fort Valley State University accredited?
Yes. Fort Valley State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Fort Valley State University?
2,684 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Fort Valley State University?
37% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Fort Valley State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Fort Valley State University located?
Fort Valley State University is located in Fort Valley, Georgia.
What programs does Fort Valley State University offer?
31 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Psychology, Biology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Fort Valley State University?
18 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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