# Governors State University (GSU)

Public college in University Park, IL. IPEDS ID 145336.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/governors-state-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/governors-state-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 48% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $12,329 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 22%; beats 8% of IL colleges and 7% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $58,169; beats 48% of IL colleges and 65% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $14,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $9,563 |
| 30-48k | $10,933 |
| 48-75k | $11,705 |
| 75-110k | $16,741 |
| 110k+ | $22,076 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.41 years on average (13% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $58,169 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $9,563 | $42,173 | 1.9 years |
| 30-48k | $10,933 | $48,215 | 2.2 years |
| 48-75k | $11,705 | $51,619 | 2.3 years |
| 75-110k | $16,741 | $73,828 | 3.3 years |
| 110k+ | $22,076 | $97,355 | 4.4 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $24,227 in-state; about $24,227 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $12,004 in-state, $12,004 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $11,360; books: $1,000

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2024: acceptance 48%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: gpa, test scores; important: essay; considered: none
- Early decision: yes; early action: not reported; waitlist: no
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.2
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 89% of need met; 209 of 212 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 16 students, average $11,890
- Source: https://www.govst.edu/sites/default/files/2026-08/Common%20Data%20Set.pdf

## Majors (27 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $80,391 | $88,391 | $27,342 |
| Computer Science | $52,115 | $79,154 | $17,750 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $48,567 | $70,895 | $19,400 |
| Accounting | $47,836 | $61,223 | $22,000 |
| Business Administration | $44,436 | $59,562 | $20,207 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | $58,455 | $25,500 |
| Social Work | $44,133 | $56,123 | $33,983 |
| Criminal Justice | $42,456 | $55,811 | $22,889 |
| Health Administration | $44,498 | $53,227 | $30,291 |
| Public Health | $36,537 | $51,027 | $23,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $42,107 | $50,703 | $36,500 |
| English | $29,580 | $50,426 | $22,520 |
| Communications | $27,071 | $47,475 | $20,340 |
| Psychology | $29,449 | $47,048 | $25,375 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $45,235 | $46,895 | $21,500 |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | $43,641 | not reported | $31,250 |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology and Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $105,090 (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN), $104,270 (IL), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Criminal Justice → Police officer: median wage $107,810 (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN), $100,520 (IL), $76,210 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).