Bang for Your Buck: Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern University is a public research university and the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia. The university has a diverse student population that includes students from all 50 states and over 80 countries. The University’s Center for Wildlife Education and its Lamar Q. Ball, Jr. Raptor Center contain a unique Wetland Preserve, featuring various reptile and amphibian exhibits for undergraduate and graduate research.

Location: Statesboro, GA

Undergraduate Enrollment: 17,759

Tuition: In-State: $6,356, Out-of-State: $17,142

General Education Requirements: All students must complete at least one course in composition, world literature, American government or history, economics, mathematics, natural science, world history, and the humanities.

Academic and Financial Highlights:

• Georgia Southern’s natural science requirement includes basic courses in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, geography, and physics. The general biology laboratories, for example, teach students foundational biological principles and their relevance to issues such as evolution, genetic modification, and disease. The University’s environmental biology courses focus on ecosystems, biodiversity, and the interactions of humans with their environment.
• Georgia Southern, like many public institutions, has low in-state tuition. However, what sets Georgia Southern apart from other public institutions is its low out-of-state tuition. Out-of-state tuition at the University of Georgia, for example, is $30,392 per year, and at the Georgia Institute of Technology, out-of-state tuition is $33,014 per year.

ACTA’s Assessment: Georgia Southern University appeals not only to Georgia students, but also to out-of-state students. Its affordable tuition rates incentivize a diverse group of students to attend their university. Georgia Southern University is also one of ACTA’s top “A” schools for curricular excellence because of its serious commitment to the liberal arts, requiring six of the seven core subjects evaluated in our What Will They Learn? report. 

Bang for Your Buck highlights affordable and academically rigorous colleges and universities across the nation. In an age when student debt accounts for more than $1.5 trillion, acquiring a useful set of skills at a reasonable price has never been more important for students entering an extremely competitive job market. Each week, ACTA recognizes a high-ranking institution from our What Will They Learn?^® project for its commitment to low tuition rates and serious academic study.