Oglethorpe University

Oglethorpe University is a less selective private nonprofit university in Atlanta, Georgia. It admits most applicants, graduates 54% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $55,232 ten years after starting college, more than 85% of the Georgia colleges we cover.

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Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Acceptance rate
88%

More selective than 24% of Georgia colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$19,509 /yr

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

Sticker price $60,581. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
54%

Higher than 78% of Georgia colleges we cover and 51% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$55,232

Higher than 85% of Georgia colleges we cover and 56% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Oglethorpe University acceptance rate & admissions

Of 2,854 applicants, Oglethorpe University admitted 1,714 and 391 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1090–1310 on the SAT or 22–31 on the ACT.

2,854
Applied
1,714
Admitted
391
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

SAT total, middle 50% of first-years1090–1310
ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years22–31
First-years who sent SAT scores11%
First-year students who return73%
Pell Grant recipients36%
First-generation students20%
Women / men63% / 37%

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

Oglethorpe University tuition, cost & net price

What families actually pay per year, by income

Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)

Sticker price (before aid)

Tuition & fees$47,590
Housing & meals, on campus$15,300
Books & supplies$1,200
Total cost of attendance$60,581

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$14,750
Loan default rate5.4%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

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

What Oglethorpe University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Oglethorpe University took 4.2 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$16,207$67,4213.1 years
$30–48k$17,558$73,0413.4 years
$48–75k$18,745$77,9793.6 years
$75–110k$23,924$99,5244.6 years
$110k+$22,055$91,7494.2 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (46% 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 ($55,232) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in GA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,716 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 →

Oglethorpe University majors, earnings & careers

Oglethorpe University offers 30 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Humanities & Languages · 7
  • Science & Math · 6
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
  • Business & Finance · 4
  • Arts & Design · 3
  • Communications & Media · 2
  • Engineering · 2

Highest-earning majors at Oglethorpe University

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Business Administration$54,609$26,000
Psychology$49,396$27,000
Writing$48,774$28,000
Quick list of all 30 majors
  • Accounting—
  • Area Studies—
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics—
  • Biology—
  • Biopsychology—
  • Business Administration$54,609
  • Chemistry—
  • Communications—
  • Economics—
  • Engineering—
  • Engineering Physics—
  • English—
  • Film and Photography—
  • History—
  • Human Resources—
  • International Relations—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Mathematics—
  • Philosophy—
  • Physics—
  • Political Science—
  • Psychology$49,396
  • Psychology (Research)—
  • Public Relations and Advertising—
  • Social Work—
  • Sociology—
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Studio Art—
  • Theatre—
  • Writing$48,774

— 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

$101,220
Atlanta
$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

Communications → Public relations specialist

$78,920
Atlanta
$73,200
Georgia
$74,750
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Atlanta

Cost of living
about the U.S. average for prices

Overall prices in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$1,619/mo

2 bedrooms $1,762. Housing costs 11% above the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
52° / 89°

January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Moderate

Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, DeKalb County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)1,522
First-year students from Georgia86%
Next most common home statesFlorida, Tennessee, Alabama
AthleticsNCAA Division III without football · 8 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-2494% bachelor's · 6% certificates
Campus typeHighly residential
Student bodyHispanic 31% · White 28% · Black 20% · Asian 4%International 3%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

DeKalb County at a glance

Population765,351
Median household income$80,644
Adults with a bachelor's degree47%
Median age36

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

Compare Oglethorpe University with similar schools

Similar private 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
Oglethorpe University88%$19,50954%$55,232This school
Piedmont University93%$20,59947%$49,130
Covenant College87%$26,26571%$50,412
Brenau University88%$18,92433%$54,003
Life University93%$29,79138%$47,397

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

Why the price is different

Oglethorpe University would cost you $1,090 less per year than Piedmont University, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at Oglethorpe University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$15,890).
  • Oglethorpe University gives aided families $14,870 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Georgia residentOglethorpe UniversityPiedmont UniversityDifference
Tuition & fees$47,590$31,700+$15,890
Books & supplies$1,200$1,298−$98
Housing & meals$15,300$12,300+$3,000
Personal & travel$2,750$3,630−$880
Living-at-home adjustment−$6,259−$2,127−$4,132
Sticker price$60,581$46,801+$13,780
Average grants−$41,072−$26,202−$14,870
You pay$19,509$20,599−$1,090

“+” means Oglethorpe 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 Oglethorpe University

What is the Oglethorpe University acceptance rate?

Oglethorpe University accepts 88% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,714 of 2,854 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1090–1310 on the SAT or 22–31 on the ACT.

How much does Oglethorpe University cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $60,581 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,509 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,207 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,055.

How much do Oglethorpe University graduates earn?

Former Oglethorpe University students earn a median $55,232 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Oglethorpe University graduation rate?

54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year.

How long does a Oglethorpe University degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Oglethorpe University costs about $77,979 after grants ($18,745 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $55,232 ten years after starting, $21,716 more than high school graduates in Georgia ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 3.6 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: “Oglethorpe University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/oglethorpe-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).