Georgia Southern University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Statesboro, Georgia. It enrolls 21,790 students (a very large 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.
Good
69/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes49
Value75
Affordability66
Selectivity23
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Georgia Southern University admits 87.9% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
87.9%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
986 – 1133
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
18 – 23
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 Georgia Southern University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
15.9 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 $15,267 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)
$6,022
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$17,734
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,492
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,428
Books & Supplies
$1,216
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$8,176
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$8,454
Total Cost of Attendance
$24,430
Application fee: $30 (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
$12,162
$30,001 – $48,000
$12,564
$48,001 – $75,000
$14,965
$75,001 – $110,000
$18,408
Over $110,000
$19,789
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.
$3,50010%percentile
$7,50025%percentile
$23,250Medianpercentile
$26,42775%percentile
$35,75090%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 $17,388
↓ $5,862
No Pell $12,699
↓ $10,551
Dependent students $15,032
↓ $8,218
Independent students $15,750
↓ $7,500
Female students $15,826
↓ $7,424
Male students $14,500
↓ $8,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,982, less than completers ($23,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
49% of students who start here finish within six years, and 78% 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
49%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
78%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $53,236 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)
$53,236
Earning > $25K
78%
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
$41,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$50,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$43,200
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$44,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$49,100
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,800, about 19% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
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 ↑
14.1 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 73% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 21,790 students, a sprawling student community.
Total Enrolled
21,790
Part-Time
14%
First-Generation
25%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 54.3%11,832
Black 23.0%5,005
Hispanic 7.6%1,665
Other 5.1%1,120
Asian 1.8%386
International 1.4%305
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Georgia Southern University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Georgia Southern University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
118 distinct programs across
23 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 24 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.
Student : Faculty
24:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,914
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$106M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$81,925
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
908 instructional faculty across 5 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
239
26%
$97,963
Associate Professors
267
29%
$85,515
Assistant Professors
169
19%
$83,345
Instructors
74
8%
$54,237
Lecturers
159
18%
$63,164
Pros & Cons of Georgia Southern University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Georgia Southern University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Georgia Southern University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Georgia Southern University
The questions families ask most about Georgia Southern University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Georgia Southern University hard to get into?
Not especially. Georgia Southern University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 87.9%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Georgia Southern University?
87.9% 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 Georgia Southern University?
Aim for 1133 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 986 and 1133 (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 Georgia Southern University?
Aim for 23 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 18 and 23 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Georgia Southern University cost?
Budget around $15,267 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 Georgia Southern University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $53,236 a year against a net price of $15,267, 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 Georgia Southern University known for?
Mostly Teacher Education (K-12), Nursing, Psychology. 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 Georgia Southern University graduates earn?
About $53,236 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 Georgia Southern University accredited?
Yes. Georgia Southern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Georgia Southern University?
21,790 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Georgia Southern University?
49% 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 Georgia Southern University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Georgia Southern University located?
Georgia Southern University is located in Statesboro, Georgia.
What programs does Georgia Southern University offer?
118 different programs, most commonly Teacher Education (K-12), Nursing, Psychology. 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 Georgia Southern University?
24 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Georgia
Other colleges in Georgia share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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