Georgia Gwinnett College
Lawrenceville, Georgia · Public · 95.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 34/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Georgia Gwinnett College scores 34 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The core problems are structural: a 21.5% completion rate - meaning only about 1 in 5 students who enroll graduate - and a repayment rate of only 58.2% at three years, indicating a majority of borrowers are not keeping up with their student loans. Average 6-year earnings of $34,500 and a 16-year payback period compound these concerns. In-state tuition is low at $4,532, and net price of $15,844 is reasonable in isolation, but the completion crisis undermines the institution's value proposition. Registered Nursing (56 graduates, $80,074 year-one, $90,106 year-four) and Biology (94 graduates, $60,542 year-four, ROI grade B+) are the top-performing programs with meaningful volume. Business Administration is the largest program (336 graduates) but earns only a C+ grade with $39,700 year-one earnings. Psychology (140 graduates) earns $39,486 at year four with no debt or ROI grade reported. GGC serves a majority-minority, first-generation, and low-income student population in Gwinnett County - Georgia's most diverse county - and faces structural challenges including under-preparation and life circumstances that drive the low completion rate. The Pell grant rate of 51.8% confirms that a majority of students require federal need-based aid.
How Georgia Gwinnett College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score34/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate21.5% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period16 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Georgia Gwinnett College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $4,532/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,844/yr |
| Average net price | $15,844/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $63,376 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $47,730 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,076 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $213 |
| Estimated payback period | 16 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 21.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 11,344 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $4,532/year ($13,844/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $15,844/year, or roughly $63,376 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $14,356/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,986/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,076, which works out to about $213 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,500) and comes to 0.58, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $14,356 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,738 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,572 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,095 |
| $110,001+ | $20,986 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 bracket pays $14,356 per year at GGC. Given in-state tuition of $4,532, the net price of $14,356 includes living costs - the all-in number for students who must support themselves while enrolled. Four years at $14,356 totals $57,424. For students who complete nursing or biology, the payback is rapid. For the majority who do not complete, any accumulated debt without a degree is a net loss.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $16,572 and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $19,095. Net costs are low in absolute terms. The issue is not cost - it is completion. Middle-income families considering GGC should focus on what supports will help their student graduate, not on the tuition rate.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $20,986 per year. For a public access institution, this is a very low cost. High-income families choosing GGC are typically doing so for geographic or financial-planning reasons, not credential value.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Georgia Gwinnett College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | $58,367 | C+ |
| Psychology | $39,486 | - |
| Biology | $60,542 | B+ |
| Registered Nursing | $90,106 | - |
| Teacher Education | $51,472 | B |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is GGC's strongest program by earnings: 56 graduates, $80,074 year-one, $90,106 year-four. The Scorecard does not report median debt or ROI grade for this program. Year-one earnings above $80k in the Atlanta metro nursing market are competitive. Nursing completion rates at access institutions often differ from overall institutional rates - GGC's nursing program likely has stronger student retention than the 21.5% institutional average.
Biology
Biology (94 graduates) earns $60,542 at year four with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.339 (ROI grade B+). Year-one earnings are not reported. The Scorecard reports median debt of $20,500 at these earnings - a 0.34 ratio that is manageable. Biology graduates at GGC likely include a significant share of pre-health track students who go on to graduate or professional school. The four-year figure of $60k suggests those who enter industry do so at reasonable salaries.
Business Administration and Management
Business Administration is GGC's largest program at 336 graduates and earns $39,700 year-one and $58,367 year-four with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.548 (ROI grade C+). For an open-access institution in the Atlanta suburbs, these are near-market outcomes. Median debt of $21,750 at $39,700 year-one is a 0.55 ratio - tighter than ideal but manageable with budget discipline. The large graduate volume makes these figures more reliable than smaller programs.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 53.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 58.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 38.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 47.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Georgia Gwinnett College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 95.5% |
| Enrollment | 11,344 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 51.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,110 |
At 95.5%, GGC is functionally open-access. The Scorecard does not report test score ranges. Admission is not a barrier; academic persistence to completion is the defining challenge. Prospective students should investigate GGC's tutoring, advising, and completion support infrastructure before enrolling, given the institutional graduation rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
GGC's central challenge - serving a high-need population in a county with very limited institutional support infrastructure - is reflected in every Scorecard metric.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Gwinnett College (this school) | 34 | $15,844 | $47,730 |
| Western Kentucky University | 34 | $10,990 | $43,889 |
| The University of Montana | 33 | $16,784 | $44,511 |
| New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 31 | $8,889 | $39,067 |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | 20 | $6,842 | $34,996 |
| Albany State University | 14 | $11,898 | $40,674 |
Who Thrives Here
GGC admits 95.5% of applicants and does not report test score ranges. At 11,344 enrolled, it is a mid-size public access institution in Lawrenceville, GA, northeast of Atlanta. The Pell grant rate is 51.8%. Students who complete are positioned well for Atlanta-area employment - but the 21.5% completion rate is the most significant obstacle to realizing that potential.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Georgia Gwinnett College scores 34/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,844 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $47,730 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 21.5% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 58.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $20,076 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Georgia Gwinnett College: Common Questions
Is Georgia Gwinnett College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Georgia Gwinnett College scores 34/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,844 a year after aid against $47,730 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Georgia Gwinnett College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $15,844 a year, or roughly $63,376 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Georgia Gwinnett College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $47,730 ten years after enrolling, roughly $5,930 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Georgia Gwinnett College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 16 years for Georgia Gwinnett College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Georgia Gwinnett College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,076, against average earnings of $34,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Georgia Gwinnett College?
The six-year graduation rate is 21.5%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.