Georgia State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Atlanta, Georgia · Public · Highly selective · CDS 2025-2026
Georgia State University is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia and one of the highly selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, Georgia State University admits roughly one in four applicants, with an overall admission rate of 16%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1447 and an ACT composite around 32. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $13,289 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Georgia State University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Georgia State University?
Most admitted students at Georgia State University present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Georgia State University weight in admissions?
Georgia State University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Character/personal qualities
- • State residency
- • Application essay
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Standardized test scores
- • Recommendations
- • Talent/ability
- • Geographical residence
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Class rank
- • Interview
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Georgia State University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 680–790, with an EBRW midpoint near 680. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 28–34. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1370 |
| 50th percentile | 1460 |
| 75th percentile | 1530 |
| % submitting SAT | 78% |
| 25th percentile | 31 |
| 50th percentile | 33 |
| 75th percentile | 35 |
| % submitting ACT | 33% |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
- • Policy detail: Required
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 88.69% |
| Top 25% of class | 97.93% |
| Top 50% of class | 99.09% |
| % submitting class rank | 40.43% |
How much does Georgia State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $11,764 for in-state students and $32,876 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,760 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $13,289 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 14% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $10,512 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $33,596 |
| Room and board | $13,996 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $13,289 |
| Application fee | $75 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Georgia State University
| Regular deadline | 1/5 |
| Notification date | 3/31 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 or within up to 2 weeks if notified thereafter |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 11/1 |
Will my child graduate from Georgia State University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in Georgia parents ask about
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus37% acceptance
- Emory University11% acceptance
- University of Georgia62% acceptance
- Kennesaw State University69% acceptance
- Valdosta State University57% acceptance
- Georgia Southern University88% acceptance
- Georgia State University-Perimeter College84% acceptance
- Savannah College of Art and Design84% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Georgia State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Georgia State University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Georgia State University
What GPA do I need for Georgia State University?
Most admitted students at Georgia State University present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school.
What SAT or ACT score does Georgia State University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 680–790, with an EBRW midpoint near 680. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 28–34.
How much does Georgia State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Georgia State University after grants and scholarships is $13,289 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Georgia State University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Georgia State University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Georgia State University, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.