Georgia State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Atlanta, Georgia. It enrolls 26,623 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.
Strong
72/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes50
Value60
Affordability77
Selectivity56
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Georgia State University admits 55.4% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
55.4%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
940 – 1180
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
19 – 26
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 State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
13.9 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 $15,931 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)
$8,664
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$24,840
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,392
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,002
Books & Supplies
$2,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,110
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,040
Total Cost of Attendance
$28,241
Application fee: $60 (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
$13,787
$30,001 – $48,000
$14,430
$48,001 – $75,000
$16,656
$75,001 – $110,000
$19,390
Over $110,000
$20,305
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.
$2,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$20,903Medianpercentile
$25,00075%percentile
$35,98990%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 $12,545
↓ $8,358
No Pell $9,506
↓ $11,397
Dependent students $11,000
↓ $9,903
Independent students $14,750
↓ $6,153
Female students $12,380
↓ $8,523
Male students $11,000
↓ $9,903
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,354, less than completers ($20,903), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
34% of students who start here finish within six years, and 79% 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
34%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
79%
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 $47,384 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)
$47,384
Earning > $25K
70%
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
$44,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$54,700
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$45,600
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$49,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$50,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $10,600, 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 ↑
16.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 66% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 26,623 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 32% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
26,623
Part-Time
23%
First-Generation
32%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 43.4%11,549
Asian 16.4%4,369
White 15.4%4,092
Hispanic 15.0%3,983
Other 5.1%1,363
International 4.2%1,121
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Georgia State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Georgia State University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
171 distinct programs across
22 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 25 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.
Student : Faculty
25:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,824
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$242M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$91,512
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,219 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
327
27%
$136,520
Associate Professors
277
23%
$91,009
Assistant Professors
255
21%
$89,867
Instructors
40
3%
$67,355
Lecturers
207
17%
$61,140
No Rank
113
9%
$55,152
Pros & Cons of Georgia State University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Georgia 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
Best for:
Based on the data, Georgia State University is a fit for
students who want a large campus with breadth and variety.
Frequently Asked Questions about Georgia State University
The questions families ask most about Georgia State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Georgia State University hard to get into?
Admissions at Georgia State University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 55.4%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Georgia State University?
55.4% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Georgia State University?
Aim for 1180 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 940 and 1180 (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 State University?
Aim for 26 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 19 and 26 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Georgia State University cost?
Budget around $15,931 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 State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $47,384 a year against a net price of $15,931, about 3.0 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 State University known for?
Mostly Psychology, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, 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 Georgia State University graduates earn?
About $47,384 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 State University accredited?
Yes. Georgia State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Georgia State University?
26,623 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 State University?
34% 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 State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Georgia State University located?
Georgia State University is located in Atlanta, Georgia.
What programs does Georgia State University offer?
171 different programs, most commonly Psychology, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, 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 Georgia State University?
25 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.
Business Administration
Nursing
Teacher Education (K-12)
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