1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Albany State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Albany State University GA · Medium public institution · Overall rank #152 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/albany-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/albany-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/albany-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/albany-state-university/majors/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Albany State University #152 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Albany State University is a public university in Albany, Georgia, where Education and Health Professions account for the largest shares of degrees. Access is among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — than to what it cannot explain. Return is modestly below average, so the earnings advantage holds against the model's expectation but not in raw earnings against comparable schools. The net price bands stay fairly close together from the lowest to the highest income levels. Pell students complete at a rate below the overall cohort, and mobility is well above average. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to Education should know that the largest program, Nursing, is also the best-paid one, while the second-largest, Education, earns considerably less. ## Albany State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** Not reported **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 31.0% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $54,096 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $13,785 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $25,024 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $10,892 ## Albany State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Albany State University is a public university located in Albany, Georgia, enrolling 5,956 undergraduates. The university's composite standing sits near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, at the 90th percentile. Because the six-year graduation rate counts only first-time, full-time students, it excludes transfer and part-time students. Access is the strongest pillar (99th percentile). Affordability and mobility sit close together (76th and 76th percentiles). Return is the weakest of the four (41st percentile). Access is the pillar that sets Albany State University apart, landing in the 99th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility and affordability are both solidly in the 76th and 76th percentiles, respectively. Return is the weakest of the four, at the 41st percentile. The profile is that of a public university where financial access is a clear strength, and the return pillar sits well below the other three. Azimuth ranks Albany State University #8 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #350 for mobility. Graduates earn about $6,625 more than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Albany State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #152 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 76 **Access & reach** National percentile: 99 **[Affordability](/school/albany-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 76 **[Return on investment](/school/albany-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 41 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Education, Other**#6** 2. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods**#112** 3. Criminal Justice and Corrections**#175** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/albany-state-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Albany State University briefing ## [Albany State University cost & financial aid](/school/albany-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at Albany State University is $19,333. In-state students pay $5,656 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay $17,008. Room and board adds $11,899. For the average recipient, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $11,898, a reduction of $7,435 from the published cost. That average net price sits $2,170 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #334 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 76th percentile. The published cost of attendance at Albany State University is $19,333. Azimuth ranks the university #334 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $10,693, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $13,785, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $17,324. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $6,631. The average aid recipient saves $7,435 against the sticker price, leaving an average net price of $11,898. That is $2,170 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). In-state tuition is $5,656; out-of-state students pay $17,008. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,024 in federal student loans, $3,795 above the $21,229 peer median. 92.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $10,892 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month. It estimates costs and payments under different scenarios. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$13,785** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Albany State University Borrowers who finish at Albany State University leave with a median of $25,024 in federal student loans. That median is $3,795 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Federal borrowing is common here: 92.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $10,892. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $54,096, at the 30th percentile nationally. That figure is $3,205 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $6,625 more than the model expects for similar students, a result at the 75th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from Albany State University's program mix, range from a downside of $40,927 to an upside of $82,106, with a typical scenario of $54,096. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $25,024 in federal loans, $3,795 above the peer median. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $10,892. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $25,024 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $10,892 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $284/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $138/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=albany-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/albany-state-university/cost/) 02 / Albany State University briefing ## [Albany State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/albany-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Among federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled, the median four years after completion is $54,096. That figure sits in the 30th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $57,301, and the gap is $3,205 below that level. The return pillar sits in the 41st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,625 more than the model expects for similar students. That result puts the gap at the 75th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,281. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $1,344. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $516. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Albany State University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $54,096. The earnings cohort includes 948 completers. That figure is $3,205 below the peer median of $57,301 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places that earnings level in the 30th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,625 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places that result at the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The program mix yields earnings scenarios of $54,096 typically, $40,927 on the downside and $82,106 on the upside. An estimated 28.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Albany State University posts a median of $54,096 for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled four years after completion, at the 30th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That result falls $3,205 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). For return, [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #861 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,625 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the university at the 75th percentile on [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,281. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $1,344. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $516. The program mix centers on education, health professions and business, with the largest fields concentrated in health and education and STEM playing a small role. Earnings scenarios estimated from that mix range from a downside of $40,927 to an upside of $82,106. An estimated 28.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios range from $40,927 on the downside to $82,106 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the upper end, Nursing graduates earn a median of $87,799 four years after completion, from 92 degrees awarded. Management Information Systems and Services follows at $59,046, though with only 6 degrees awarded a year. Accounting rounds out the top three at $52,363. The published cost of attendance at Albany State University is $19,333. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients ranges from $10,693 in the lowest income band to $17,324 in the highest, a spread of $6,631. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,024 in federal student loans, $3,795 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $10,892 in Parent PLUS loans. Graduates earn about $6,625 more than the model expects for similar students, while the debt sits above the median for comparable institutions. The debt load is higher than at comparable institutions, even as earnings exceed the model's prediction. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$5,281 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$1,344 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$6,625 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/albany-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / Albany State University briefing ## [Albany State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/albany-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Albany State University is a public university in Albany, Georgia, enrolling 5,956 undergraduates. The student body is built from more than one entry point: a majority use federal grant aid, and roughly a quarter continue coursework begun at another institution. A Pell-eligible applicant should use the cost calculator to see a grant-adjusted price, and a transfer applicant should review the transfer information alongside the intended field. These figures describe who attends, not how the university evaluates files or what any one applicant's odds look like. Admissions **Admission rate** Not reported [Read the full admissions brief](/school/albany-state-university/admissions/) 04 / Albany State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Albany State University?](/school/albany-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The largest programs at Albany State University show a sharp divide between the highest-earning field and the rest. Nursing awards 92 degrees a year and graduates earn a median of $87,799 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the program #187 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. No other large program comes close to that earnings figure. Education, with 91 degrees awarded, reports median earnings of $41,282. Azimuth ranks it #6 nationally and #1 in Georgia within its field. Criminal Justice and Business Administration and Management sit in the middle, with earnings of $49,310 and $49,246 respectively. Psychology rounds out the largest programs at $41,153, with Azimuth ranking it #331 nationally. The earnings picture is concentrated: one program accounts for the high end, while the other large fields cluster at more moderate levels. Albany State University has 7 nationally ranked bachelor's programs. The largest program, Nursing, awards 92 degrees a year and is ranked #187 in its field by Azimuth. Its completers earn a median of $87,799 four years after completion, the highest figure of any program at the university. Education is the top-ranked program, at #6 nationally. It awards 91 degrees a year, and completers earn a median of $41,282 four years after completion. The earnings picture varies widely by field. Criminal Justice awards 80 degrees, ranks #175 in its field, and shows median earnings of $49,310. Albany State University awards bachelor's degrees across 12 programs with published four-year earnings data, 7 of which hold an Azimuth national rank. The program mix is anchored by Education, which accounts for 22.3% of degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 16.0% and Business at 14.4%. The largest single programs are Nursing at 92 degrees awarded, Education at 91, and Criminal Justice at 80. Education is the highest-ranked program. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #1 in Georgia within its field, and graduates earn a median of $41,282 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is Nursing, which is also the largest, with graduates earning a median of $87,799 four years after completion. A much smaller program, Management Information Systems and Services, follows at $59,046 from just 6 degrees awarded a year. Strength here is concentrated in a few fields. Nursing is the largest program, and Education is the highest-ranked. Across all fields, 6.9% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 92 degrees awarded** $87,799 **Education, Other 91 degrees awarded** $41,282 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 80 degrees awarded** $49,310 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 55 degrees awarded** $49,246 **Psychology, General 52 degrees awarded** $41,153 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 37 degrees awarded** $51,782 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/albany-state-university/majors/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)