More selective than 57% of Georgia colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $17,415. College Scorecard.
Higher than 47% of Georgia colleges we cover and 25% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 65% of Georgia colleges we cover and 38% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Clayton State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,782 applicants, Clayton State University admitted 1,258 and 504 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 860–1078 on the SAT or 15–19 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Clayton State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Georgia residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Clayton State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Clayton State University took 4.8 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Georgia. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $7,405 | $35,174 | 2.2 years |
| $30–48k | $7,032 | $33,402 | 2.1 years |
| $48–75k | $9,755 | $46,336 | 3.0 years |
| $75–110k | $12,095 | $57,451 | 3.7 years |
| $110k+ | $14,161 | $67,265 | 4.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.8 years, the average time graduates took (15% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($49,179) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in GA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,663 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Clayton State University majors, earnings & careers
Clayton State University offers 33 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Humanities & Languages · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Science & Math · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at Clayton State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $96,160 | $37,783 |
| Computer Science | $94,876 | $31,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $67,899 | $39,458 |
| Accounting | $63,862 | $45,375 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $63,402 | $25,000 |
| Business Administration | $58,740 | $37,250 |
| Biology | $57,400 | $31,500 |
| Political Science | $55,643 | $30,500 |
Quick list of all 33 majors
- Accounting$63,862
- Biology$57,400
- Business—
- Business Administration$58,740
- Chemistry—
- Communications$40,300
- Computer and Information Sciences$67,899
- Computer Science$94,876
- Criminal Justice$47,627
- Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$63,402
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English$31,053
- Film and Photography$36,510
- Health Administration$50,131
- Health Sciences$40,140
- History$42,146
- Hospitality Management—
- Information Science / Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$53,042
- Legal Support Services$49,897
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$50,110
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$96,160
- Philosophy—
- Political Science$55,643
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$42,032
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Atlanta
Overall prices in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,762. Housing costs 11% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 53 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Clayton County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Clayton County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Clayton State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Georgia by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton State University | 68% | $8,365 | 40% | $49,179 | This school |
| Georgia Military College | — | $16,923 | 38% | $39,257 | |
| Fort Valley State University | 66% | $10,338 | 41% | $36,666 | |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | 76% | $6,842 | 36% | $34,996 | |
| Dalton State College | — | $5,012 | 25% | $40,251 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Clayton State University would cost you $8,558 less per year than Georgia Military College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Clayton State University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$2,932).
- Clayton State University gives aided families $4,986 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Georgia resident | Clayton State University | Georgia Military College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $5,180 | $8,112 | −$2,932 |
| Books & supplies | $1,822 | $720 | +$1,102 |
| Housing & meals | $11,104 | $9,904 | +$1,200 |
| Personal & travel | $3,375 | $4,532 | −$1,157 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,066 | −$2,281 | −$1,785 |
| Sticker price | $17,415 | $20,987 | −$3,572 |
| Average grants | −$9,050 | −$4,064 | −$4,986 |
| You pay | $8,365 | $16,923 | −$8,558 |
“+” means Clayton State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Clayton State University
What is the Clayton State University acceptance rate?
Clayton State University accepts 68% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,258 of 1,782 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 860–1078 on the SAT or 15–19 on the ACT.
How much does Clayton State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $17,415 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $8,365 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,405 and families earning $110k+ pay $14,161.
How much do Clayton State University graduates earn?
Former Clayton State University students earn a median $49,179 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Clayton State University graduation rate?
40% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 71% return for their second year.
How long does a Clayton State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Clayton State University costs about $46,336 after grants ($9,755 a year for 4.8 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $49,179 ten years after starting, $15,663 more than high school graduates in Georgia ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 3.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Clayton State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/clayton-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).