Georgia Southern University
#6 Best Colleges in Georgia- Graduation Rate
- 53% C-
- About half of students who start complete their degree
- Earnings (10yr)
- $53,236 B
- Well above the typical college graduate
- Net Price
- $15,267 C+
- Close to the national average
- Acceptance Rate
- 88% D+
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 21.8× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $21.8 over 20 years. Ranked #6 in Best Colleges in Georgia.
Every $1 spent returns $21.8 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,269,375.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Earnings 31% above the national college median.
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Every $1 invested returns $21.8 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.2%
- Top 76%
- Patents
- 57
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 36
- Downstream influence
Why Georgia Southern University Matters
Georgia Southern University is a public research university in Statesboro, GA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong research base and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R2 · High Research
- Enrollment
- 21,790
- Setting
- Town
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Social Sciences, Education
Why students choose Georgia Southern University
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Accessible — admits about 88% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 986–1133. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $15,267 a year after grants and scholarships — 11% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $53,236 ten years after enrolling — 31% above the typical college, against $23,250 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.7% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 40% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.37 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Georgia Southern University enrolls nearly 22,000 students, making it one of the largest public universities in Georgia. Its acceptance rate stands at 88%, indicating a welcoming environment for prospective students. This accessibility allows a diverse range of individuals to pursue higher education in a supportive setting.
Graduates from Georgia Southern earn a median income of $53,236 ten years after enrollment. While the graduation rate is 53%, the university emphasizes career readiness in fields like Business, Health Professions, and Education. The focus on practical skills helps students transition successfully into the workforce, although specific mobility metrics are not available.
The net price for attending Georgia Southern is $15,267, with a median debt of $23,250 for graduates. About 36% of students receive Pell Grants, highlighting the university's commitment to supporting low-income learners. Students who thrive here often value community engagement and are looking for a comprehensive educational experience that prepares them for real-world challenges.
Rankings
- #6 Best Colleges in Georgia
- #6 Best Bachelor's Programs in Georgia
- #6 Best Master's Programs in Georgia
- #6 Best Online Colleges in Georgia
- #6 Best Communications Colleges in Georgia
- #7 Best Computer Science Colleges in Georgia
- #7 Best Data Science Colleges in Georgia
- #8 Best Business Colleges in Georgia
Can I Get In?
How selective Georgia Southern University is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Georgia Southern University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Statesboro, Georgia, Georgia Southern University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 88%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,053. The graduation rate is roughly 53%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 88%
- Retention Rate
- 78%
- SAT Average
- 1053
- ACT Midpoint
- 21
- SAT Range
- 986–1133
- ACT Range
- 18–23
- Full-Time Faculty
- 84%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $9,310
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 22:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.64
- First-Gen Students
- 25%
- Applicants
- 14,680
- Admitted
- 13,049
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Georgia Southern University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Georgia Southern University is $17,734, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $15,267. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $12,162 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,250 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $6,022
- Out-of-State
- $17,734
- Avg Net Price
- $15,267
- Median Debt
- $23,250
- Pell Grant Rate
- 36%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 36%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $12,162
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $12,564
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $14,965
- Family Income $110K+
- $19,789
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Georgia Southern University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Georgia Southern University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Georgia Southern University earn a median of $53,236, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $44,423
- 8 Years
- $49,438
- 10 Years
- $53,236
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.44x
- Earning > $25K
- 64%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (1,188)
- 29%
- 100% (1,188)
- 29%
- 100% (1,188)
- 29%
- 100% (1,188)
- 29%
How Georgia Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Georgia Southern University Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Georgia Southern University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $15,267/year ($61,068 total). Graduates earn $53,236 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,330,443 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,269,375 (21.8× your investment). The median debt is $23,250, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 53% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $61,068
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,330,443
- Net Return
- $1,269,375
- ROI Multiple
- 21.8×
- Cost Per Year
- $15,267
- Median Debt
- $23,250
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 53%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Georgia Southern University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Georgia Southern University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.68%, well above the typical college. About 8.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $88,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.68%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 19.4%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 8.7%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $119,697
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Georgia Southern University produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 57 patents tied to its graduates.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.20%
- Top 76% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 57
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 36
- Downstream influence
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 0.27%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $5,930,901
- Investment Income
- $-2,341,209
Top Programs
The fields Georgia Southern University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Business & Marketing 19% $75,746 early-career
- Health Professions 17% $71,484 early-career
- Social Sciences 8% $42,972 early-career
- Education 7% $45,861 early-career
- Psychology 6% $31,563 early-career
- Engineering 6% $77,834 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 5% $71,766 early-career
- Humanities 4% $25,880 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Georgia Southern University's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Georgia Southern University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Statesboro, Georgia, Georgia Southern University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 88%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,053. The graduation rate is roughly 53%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Georgia Southern University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Georgia Southern University is $17,734, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $15,267. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $12,162 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,250 in federal student loans.
Is Georgia Southern University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Georgia Southern University earn a median of $53,236, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Georgia Southern University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Georgia Southern University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.68%, well above the typical college. About 8.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $88,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Georgia Southern University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Georgia Southern University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.37, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Georgia Southern University.
- Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · Close peer59% grad $54,384 earn 90% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC · Close peer62% grad $55,146 earn 89% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, TX · Close peer55% grad $54,211 earn 90% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI · Close peer50% grad $54,990 earn 91% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of MississippiUniversity, MS · Close peer70% grad $50,994 earn 97% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
- Utah State UniversityLogan, UT · Close peer58% grad $54,022 earn 92% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Georgia Southern University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Georgia Southern University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.37, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note