Address: 100 Auburn Ave NE, 30303 Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Business (Robinson College), Public Policy (Andrew Young School), Health Professions
Georgia State University occupies a main campus of more than 100 acres in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, and has been operating since 1913. It is a public university that holds the Carnegie Classification R1, the category for doctoral universities with very high research spending and doctorate production, and it is one of four research universities in the University System of Georgia.
Its academic units include the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, the College of Law, the School of Public Health, the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of the Arts and the Honors College. Perimeter College, which offers associate degree pathways, operates from five campuses in Clarkston, Decatur, Dunwoody, Newton and Alpharetta.
The university reports more than 53,000 students, with a fall 2025 total of 53,144. U.S. News & World Report has repeatedly named it among the most innovative universities in the United States.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Located in downtown Atlanta. Leader in using data analytics to improve student success and graduation rates, particularly for underrepresented students. Diverse student population.
Research:
A research university with strengths in public policy, health sciences, business, and urban studies. Focus on research addressing urban and social challenges.
Famous Alumnis:
Julia Roberts (attended briefly), Ludacris (Chris Bridges), Ken Lewis
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
5000
Current students***:
54000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
200000
Pros
Diverse student body, innovative student success initiatives, located in downtown Atlanta with access to internships and careers.
Cons
Primarily a commuter campus for many, urban campus safety can be a concern, large class sizes in some programs.
Best For
Students, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, seeking an urban university experience with strong programs in business, public policy, or health, often valuing innovative approaches to student support.
Journalism, public administration and the arts appear among the specialties of University of Georgia, in Athens, Georgia.
Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond is listed for arts, health sciences and public affairs.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Toronto Metropolitan University in Canada lists media and communications, entrepreneurship and engineering in a downtown setting.
Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom is listed for medicine, dentistry and law.
University of Technology Sydney in Australia combines business, engineering and IT, design and health.
The University of Auckland in New Zealand covers medicine and health sciences, engineering and business.
Technological University Dublin in Ireland lists engineering, built environment and computer science.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
When was Georgia State University founded?
The university has been operating since 1913. Its main campus is in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.
What does R1 status mean for Georgia State?
R1 is the Carnegie Classification for doctoral universities with very high research spending and doctorate production. Georgia State is one of four research universities in the University System of Georgia.
Which colleges and schools does it include?
They include the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, the College of Law, the School of Public Health, the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions and the Honors College, among others. The full list appears on the university website.
What is Perimeter College?
Perimeter College is one of the university's colleges and offers associate degree pathways. It operates from five campus locations in Clarkston, Decatur, Dunwoody, Newton and Alpharetta.
How many students are enrolled?
The university reports more than 53,000 students, and its fall 2025 enrollment was 53,144. Current figures are published by the university.
What is Georgia State known for among rankings?
U.S. News & World Report has placed it among the most innovative universities in the country, for example second in 2023. The rankings change each year, so the latest results should be checked directly.
Where can I find fees and admission requirements?
Tuition, application deadlines and entry requirements are published on the official Georgia State website, separately for undergraduate, graduate and Perimeter College programs.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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