🎓 College profile

Gordon State College

GA · Public · Distant town · 2,126 applicants 2023

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$3,628 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Health Professions or Business, Management, & Marketing (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small undergraduate experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: ACT below 15 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)
  • Out-of-state tuition is 3.0× the in-state rate

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
Baccalaureate/Associate's Colleges: Mixed Bacc/Assoc
Total enrollment
2,544
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$3,628
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$10,948
+$7,320 vs in-state
Admit rate
86.8%
Accepts the majority
ACT middle 50%
15–21
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$37,871
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$33,163
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$37,871
4-year completion
20%
Median debt (completers)
$17,500
Cost of attendance
$14,771
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
48%

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Gordon State College

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Gordon State College actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Health Professions
68 degrees · 33.2%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
2. Business, Management, & Marketing
42 degrees · 20.5%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
3. Education
35 degrees · 17.1%
Typical career outcomes
Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.
4. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
30 degrees · 14.6%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
5. Public Administration & Social Services
30 degrees · 14.6%
Typical career outcomes
Social Worker $58k Social / Community Service Mgr $77k Urban / Regional Planner $82k
Government, nonprofit, social work. Mission-driven; lower wages than private sector but stable.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Gordon State College

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 43 $77,695 $82,747
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 45 $39,798 $54,940
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 29 $29,542 $50,699
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. Bachelor's Degree 45 $40,644 $46,514
Human Services, General. Bachelor's Degree 40 $33,648 $44,286
Health and Medical Administrative Services. Bachelor's Degree 8 $29,357 $40,799

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Gordon State College

CS degrees (annual)
6
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

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