Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia · Public · 55.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 41/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Georgia State University, a large public research university in downtown Atlanta, scores 41 out of 100 (Below Benchmark) on ROI. GSU is a school of two stories. The aggregate metrics: 53.1% completion, $38,100 average earnings six years out, $20,903 median debt (relatively low), 0.549 debt-to-earnings ratio, and a 16.5-year payback period. Net price is $15,931 against an in-state tuition of $8,664; four-year total cost runs $63,724 - a competitive public-school price. The repayment-rate sub-score of 12 (just 55% reducing principal) is the weakest signal, reflecting GSU's high-Pell, low-completion working-class pipeline. But the program-level data tells a different story: GSU's nursing, allied health, computer science, and finance programs deliver B+/B grades and strong starting salaries. The school average is dragged down by an enormous tail of liberal-arts and social-science majors with debt-to-earnings ratios above 0.90.
How Georgia State University 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 Score41/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period16.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Georgia State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $8,664/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $24,840/yr |
| Average net price | $15,931/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $63,724 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $47,384 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $38,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,903 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $222 |
| Estimated payback period | 16.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 53.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 26,623 |
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: $8,664/year ($24,840/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 $15,931/year, or roughly $63,724 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 $13,787/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,305/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,903, which works out to about $222 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($38,100) and comes to 0.55, 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 | $13,787 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,430 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,656 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,390 |
| $110,001+ | $20,305 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $13,787 net annually - meaningful but not free. Pell + HOPE Scholarship (for Georgia residents with academic eligibility) can compress this further. Four-year exposure of about $55,000 against $38,100 average earnings is workable in the strong programs and challenging in the weak ones. GSU is a defensible affordability play for low-income Georgia students who target a high-ROI major.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $16,656, and $75,001-$110,000 pays $19,390. Four-year cost runs $66,000-$78,000. For middle-income Atlanta-area families this is a competitive price point, especially with HOPE eligibility for high-school GPA. Major choice is the binding constraint - middle-income students drifting into a low-ROI major face real repayment pressure.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $20,305 net per year - four-year cost approaches $81,000.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Georgia State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $49,050 | D |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $50,632 | D |
| Biology | $52,222 | D |
| Computer Science | $100,582 | B+ |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $87,020 | B |
| Marketing | $67,872 | C |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $42,457 | F |
| Finance and Financial Management | $82,688 | B |
| International Relations | $58,432 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $52,857 | D |
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.
Computer Science
Computer Science is one of GSU's flagship ROI programs: 357 graduates per cohort, $66,803 first-year earnings rising to $100,582 by year four, $22,500 median debt, and a 0.337 debt-to-earnings ratio earning a B+ grade. Atlanta's tech corridor (Microsoft, Google, NCR) absorbs graduates at high rates. The four-year earnings figure crosses six figures.
Registered Nursing
Nursing produces 146 graduates with $78,165 first-year earnings, $87,146 by year four, $26,430 median debt, and a 0.338 ratio for a B+ grade. Among the top 5 ROI programs at GSU and a clear win for students focused on credentialed healthcare careers.
Finance and Financial Management
Finance produces 234 graduates with $56,344 first-year earnings rising to $82,688 by year four, $24,250 median debt, and a 0.43 ratio for a B grade. Atlanta is a major banking and corporate-finance market (SunTrust/Truist, Coca-Cola, Delta), supporting strong placement.
Psychology
Psychology is GSU's largest single-major cohort at 495 graduates, but earnings outcomes are weak: $28,904 first-year, $49,050 by year four, $27,000 median debt, and a 0.934 debt-to-earnings ratio for a D grade. The program's volume combined with weak ROI is a real concern - this is hundreds of students per year facing tight repayment math. Students entering psychology should commit to a graduate-school plan or explore applied tracks (industrial/organizational, behavioral analysis) with stronger ROI.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film/Video produces 266 graduates with $22,588 first-year earnings, $42,457 by year four, $25,755 median debt, and a 1.14 debt-to-earnings ratio earning an F grade. Atlanta's status as a major film-production hub creates the marketing case for this program, but the earnings data shows that volume of placements does not translate to median graduate earnings that justify the cost. Students drawn to this field should consider portfolio-based community-college and industry-internship paths before committing to four years of debt.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 49.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 55.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 50.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 56.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Georgia State University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 55.4% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 460-590 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 480-590 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-26 |
| Enrollment | 26,623 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,404 |
Admission rate is 55.44%. SAT mid-50% bands are 460-590 Math and 480-590 Reading; ACT composite spans 19-26. Completion rate of 53% maps to that prep distribution.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia State University (this school) | 41 | $15,931 | $47,384 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | 46 | $13,359 | $48,541 |
| Idaho State University | 38 | $12,193 | $45,608 |
| University of Akron Main Campus | 38 | $13,946 | $46,600 |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | 20 | $6,842 | $34,996 |
| Albany State University | 14 | $11,898 | $40,674 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Georgia State University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
GSU fits Atlanta-area students seeking a large, diverse, urban research-university experience at a public price. Pell rate is 50.75%, signaling deep working-class enrollment. Total enrollment is 26,623 undergraduates; the campus is genuinely diverse and racially representative. The ROI math works very well for students who lock onto nursing, CS, allied health, finance, accounting, or business information systems early. It works poorly for students who drift into psychology (495 grads with F grade), film/video (266 grads, F), fine arts (165, F), or biology (358 grads, D) without a graduate-school plan. The school's volume in low-ROI majors is a real concern.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Georgia State University scores 41/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,931 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $47,384 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16.5 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, a three-year loan repayment rate of 55.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $20,903 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $38,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55, 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 State University: Common Questions
Is Georgia State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Georgia State University scores 41/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,931 a year after aid against $47,384 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Georgia State University 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 $15,931 a year, or roughly $63,724 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 State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $47,384 ten years after enrolling, roughly $5,584 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 State University?
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 16.5 years for Georgia State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Georgia State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,903, against average earnings of $38,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55. 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 State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 53.1%. 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.