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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Georgia State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/georgia-state-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/georgia-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/georgia-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/georgia-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/georgia-state-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Georgia State cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance at Georgia State University is $28,241. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $9,180 and required fees of $1,320 for the 2025-26 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $11,138.

Out-of-state students face a published tuition of $30,000. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $15,931.

Aid lowers the published cost by $12,310 for the average aid recipient. That average net price is $297 above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #348 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Georgia State University records an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $15,931 for aid recipients, a figure above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $297. Completers who borrowed federally hold median debt of $20,903, a level above the peer median of $20,076 by $827.

Azimuth scores the university in the 75th percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The lowest-income band sees an average net price of $13,787, while the highest-income band averages $20,305.

50.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a group that corresponds closely to the lowest income bracket. Those families face an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $13,787; moving up the scale, the averages are $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 those earning over $110,000. The lowest and highest bands are separated by $6,518.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$13,787

**$30–48K**
$14,430

**$48–75K**
$16,656

**$75–110K**
$19,390

**$110K+**
$20,305

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$15,931**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 44% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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 the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans, a separate federal borrowing population. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $238.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$14,837

**Estimated parent payment**
$189/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=georgia-state-university#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## 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

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  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.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

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=georgia-state-university#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).

**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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

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.