Georgia Southwestern State University

Georgia Southwestern State University is a less selective public university in Americus, Georgia. It admits most applicants, graduates 41% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $48,757 ten years after starting college, more than 62% of the Georgia colleges we cover.

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Acceptance rate
75%

More selective than 46% of Georgia colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$12,019 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $20,484. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
41%

Higher than 49% of Georgia colleges we cover and 26% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$48,757

Higher than 62% of Georgia colleges we cover and 37% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Georgia Southwestern State University acceptance rate & admissions

Of 2,045 applicants, Georgia Southwestern State University admitted 1,578 and 533 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 890–1110 on the SAT or 16–22 on the ACT.

2,045
Applied
1,578
Admitted
533
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

SAT total, middle 50% of first-years890–1110
ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years16–22
First-years who sent SAT scores24%
First-year students who return58%
Pell Grant recipients43%
First-generation students35%
Women / men68% / 32%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Georgia Southwestern 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)

Tuition & fees, in-state$5,220
Tuition & fees, out-of-state$16,572
Housing & meals, on campus$9,574
Books & supplies$1,240
Total cost of attendance, in-state$20,484

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$11,000
Loan default rate4.7%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

What Georgia Southwestern State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Georgia Southwestern State University took 4.5 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 incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$10,477$46,9373.1 years
$30–48k$10,935$48,9893.2 years
$48–75k$13,508$60,5164.0 years
$75–110k$16,373$73,3514.8 years
$110k+$15,415$69,0594.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (20% 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 ($48,757) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in GA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,241 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.

Best-value colleges in Georgia for your income →

Georgia Southwestern State University majors, earnings & careers

Georgia Southwestern State University offers 27 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Business & Finance · 4
  • Science & Math · 4
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
  • Arts & Design · 3
  • Education · 3
  • Health & Medicine · 3
  • Humanities & Languages · 3
  • Technology & Computing · 2
  • Communications & Media · 1

Highest-earning majors at Georgia Southwestern State University

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Nursing$80,811$24,250
Business Administration$65,514$26,450
Human Resources$64,973$41,580
Accounting$63,928$30,000
Computer and Information Sciences$57,043—
Marketing$51,176$24,123
Education (Subject Teaching)$48,407—
Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,001$26,431
Quick list of all 27 majors
  • Accounting$63,928
  • Biology—
  • Business Administration$65,514
  • Chemistry—
  • Communications—
  • Computer and Information Sciences$57,043
  • Computer Science—
  • Criminal Justice—
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,001
  • Education (Subject Teaching)$48,407
  • English—
  • Geology / Earth Science—
  • Health Administration—
  • History—
  • Human Resources$64,973
  • Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Marketing$51,176
  • Mathematics—
  • Music—
  • Nursing$80,811
  • Political Science—
  • Psychology$39,403
  • Sociology$43,457
  • Special Education—
  • Studio Art—
  • Theatre—

— 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

$99,600
Georgia
$101,860
U.S.

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

$93,550
Georgia
$97,550
U.S.

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 Americus

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$871/mo

2 bedrooms $1,139.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
59° / 91°

January and July average highs. 53 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Low

No hazard rated high.

FEMA National Risk Index, Sumter County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)3,408
First-year students from Georgia95%
Next most common home statesFlorida, North Carolina, Alabama
AthleticsNCAA Division II without football · 7 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-24100% bachelor's
Campus typePrimarily residential
Student bodyWhite 54% · Black 35% · Hispanic 4% · Two or more 3%International 1%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Sumter County at a glance

Population29,061
Median household income$42,653
Adults with a bachelor's degree21%
Median age38

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Georgia Southwestern 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.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Georgia Southwestern State University75%$12,01941%$48,757This school
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College76%$6,84236%$34,996
Fort Valley State University66%$10,33841%$36,666
Clayton State University68%$8,36540%$49,179
Gordon State College86%$8,10520%$37,871

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Georgia Southwestern State University would cost you $5,177 more per year than Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at Georgia Southwestern State University, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$2,080).
  • Georgia Southwestern State University gives aided families $1,351 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Georgia residentGeorgia Southwestern State UniversityABACDifference
Tuition & fees$5,220$3,268+$1,952
Books & supplies$1,240$1,000+$240
Housing & meals$9,574$9,270+$304
Personal & travel$5,280$3,200+$2,080
Living-at-home adjustment−$830−$2,782+$1,952
Sticker price$20,484$13,956+$6,528
Average grants−$8,465−$7,114−$1,351
You pay$12,019$6,842+$5,177

“+” means Georgia Southwestern 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 Georgia Southwestern State University

What is the Georgia Southwestern State University acceptance rate?

Georgia Southwestern State University accepts 75% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,578 of 2,045 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 890–1110 on the SAT or 16–22 on the ACT.

How much does Georgia Southwestern State University cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $20,484 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,019 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,477 and families earning $110k+ pay $15,415.

How much do Georgia Southwestern State University graduates earn?

Former Georgia Southwestern State University students earn a median $48,757 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Georgia Southwestern State University graduation rate?

41% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 58% return for their second year.

How long does a Georgia Southwestern State University degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Georgia Southwestern State University costs about $60,516 after grants ($13,508 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $48,757 ten years after starting, $15,241 more than high school graduates in Georgia ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 4.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

Is Georgia Southwestern State University the right fit for your family?

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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: “Georgia Southwestern State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/georgia-southwestern-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).