Cost & financial aid brief
Georgia State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Georgia State cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 44% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price is $13,787 in the lowest income band and $20,305 in the highest, a spread of $6,518 between the two ends.
The pattern shows larger aid amounts for lower-income families. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that for the 2024-25 academic year, first-year aid recipients with need had an average of 49% of their need met.
The average need-based grant was $7,610, and the average total aid package was $16,326. Of the 3,975 first-year students, 2,382 received need-based grant aid, and 34 had their full need met.
Georgia State University publishes a cost of attendance of $28,241, and aid packages bring the actual price down considerably for most families. For students from families earning under $30,000, the average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $13,787.
The figure moves across the income bands: $14,430 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $16,656 for $48,001–$75,000, $19,390 for $75,001–$110,000, and $20,305 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $6,518.
Azimuth ranks the university #348 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 44% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $12,310 against the sticker price.
The average net price across all aid recipients is $15,931, which sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $297. As a public university, Georgia State serves an undergraduate enrollment of 26,623.
Median federal student debt at completion is $20,903, with about 69.5% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. That debt sits above the peer median of $20,076 by $827, and the estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $238.
Parent PLUS borrowing adds a separate layer: the median among parent borrowers is $14,837.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
That figure is above the $20,076 at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $827. Roughly 69.5% of federal aid recipients borrow.
The separate parent-borrower population has a median Parent PLUS debt of $14,837. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 54% of the 4,196 bachelor's graduates who started as first-time students borrowed from any source, averaging $29,138 per borrower.
That figure includes 53% with federal loans averaging $26,527 and 5% with private loans averaging $24,584.
The median earnings for Georgia State University graduates four years after completion is $58,898, which sits in the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure is below the $65,610 median at comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $6,712.
Graduates earn about $1,434 less than expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 50th percentile nationally. Scenarios modeled from the university's program mix show a typical earnings outcome of $58,898, with a downside scenario of $46,194 and an upside scenario of $90,300.
The median federal debt of $20,903 runs above the $20,076 peer median, and if repaid over ten years the estimated monthly payment is $238.
Parent borrowers at the university took on a median of $14,837 in Parent PLUS loans, a separate federal borrowing population. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $238.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $14,837
- Estimated parent payment
- $189/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 11.1% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 5.0% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.4% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.6% | Safe |
The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. Open the parent tool for your own numbers. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $20,903
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $14,837
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $238/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $189/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $427/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $58,898, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
8.2% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
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.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
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. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.