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Georgia State University: Georgia State University College of Law Building
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National university

#13 Best colleges in Georgia

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $15,931 a year

Median debt at graduation: $20,903 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In Georgia

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Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.53%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.80%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,076 · ACT 22.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.25 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$6,675

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $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

Full cost of attendance before aid: $28,241 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
27,588
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 41% · Women 59%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
32%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
6%
Total students34,974
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$15,931
Cost of attendance (per year)$28,241
Median federal debt at graduation$20,903
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
53%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
32%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
31%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
44%
First-year retention80%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$47,384
Admission rate55%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$60
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,660 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants51%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 940–1180ACT 19–26
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1076
SAT reading & writing480–590
SAT math460–590
ACT composite19–26
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Good · Top 42% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Insurance$101,040
Computer science$100,582
Allied health$99,457
Management science$89,587
Nursing$87,146
Computing and information science$87,020
Managerial economics$84,681
Finance$82,688
Accounting$81,029
Mathematics$68,916
Business administration$68,644
Marketing$67,872
Real Estate$62,120
Physics$60,393
Philosophy$60,009
Hospitality management$59,089
Political science$58,432
Economics$58,344
Public Policy Analysis$56,842
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services$56,263
Teacher education$54,899
Journalism$54,732
Chemistry$53,430
Criminal justice$52,857
Romance languages$52,415
Secondary education$52,410
Social work$52,356
Biology$52,222
Neuroscience$51,367
Interdisciplinary studies$50,632
English$49,792
Sociology$49,333
Psychology$49,050
Public health$48,896
Communication studies$47,132
Geology and earth science$47,111
History$46,554
Ethnic and gender studies$43,975
Film and video$42,457
Fine arts$42,454
Linguistics$40,310
Anthropology$40,306
Music$35,963

Also offered (no earnings published yet): American Sign Language, Computational Science, Dental assisting, Entrepreneurship, General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations, Geography, German, Liberal arts, Programming, Religious studies, Special education, Urban Studies/Affairs.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business20%
Computer and information sciences13%
Interdisciplinary studies11%
Psychology8%
Biology8%

Campus life

SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates23%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older15%
On-campus room and board (per year)$13,392
SportsNCAA Division I · Sun Belt Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member25 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 5%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time75%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$8,128IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 19% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceHartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)About 8 miles away · about 15 minutes by car
Town population505,268Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreAtlantaIn or next to this city
Typical weather44°F in January · 80°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Atlanta Fulton Co Airport, GA, about 8 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.230.07
Robbery0.090.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.110.08
Motor vehicle theft0.170.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Georgia State University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 50% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Georgia State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $15,931 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Georgia State University?
Georgia State University admitted 55% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Georgia State University’s graduates do?
53% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $47,384; the median federal debt at graduation is $20,903.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 139940
  • Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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