November 1, 2022

A new online tool launched by the University System of Georgia is paving a road for the nation by providing students and their families with a centralized location for providing comparative college enrollment and enrollment data for 26 of Georgia’s public universities.

Georgia Degrees Pay connects the value of degree attainment with economic success by giving students and families critical information about an institution’s affordability and value. With such a resource, working through important decisions about higher education in Georgia becomes an easier task to complete. 

Georgia Degrees Pay compares various institutions on their overall cost, the specific majors and fields of study offered, the average student borrowing and the average career earnings. By comparing these factors, the site makes it easier to decide how a college can help students obtain significant welfare and career growth through a college that suits their financial needs. 

The website’s design is user-friendly and easily navigated. When reviewing the website and its potential, dual enrollment student Chelsea Chapman noted that  “the website is very practical and also very realistic in giving students a selection of colleges that meet their educational expectations.” As Chapman explored the site more thoroughly, she stated, “I really appreciated the layout of the website; the format was clean and easy to read.”

Chapman found the sections and tabs that explained aspects such as student success rate and the average cost of attendance most beneficial for upcoming college students. Columbus State associate vice president for enrollment management, Sallie McMullin, agreed on the site’s usefulness as a college research tool.

“Georgia Degrees Pay provides students and parents easy access to information on all USG schools, so it is a good starting point for the college search process.”

McMullin also explained that the site is a wonderful complement to a student’s on-the-ground research that should include “visiting different the campuses and do a deeper dive to find the 'best' college for them.”

With college affordability factoring into many college decisions, Georgia Degrees Pay also provides a “one-stop-shop” comparison tools for both in-state net pricing and out-of-state net pricing for non-Georgia residents who are wishing to attend a Georgia state school. 

Visitors to the site will discover that Columbus State is the third most affordable college within the University System of Georgia, with an average net price of $13,571 per year. Furthermore, undergraduate students from Georgia’s border states—Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee—qualify for in-state tuition.

The Georgia Degrees Pay site also allows current and future Columbus State students to forecast their potential earnings after graduation. Based on this data, compared to graduates of other USG peer institutions CSU is ranked third for the highest median salary 10 years after graduation. Median salaries for Columbus State graduates having worked in Georgia for 10 years is $58,668 with a bachelor’s degree, $71,666 for those with a master’s degree, and $87,584 with a doctoral degree.

The site allows visitors to further compare earnings potential between majors, academic areas and schools.

For more information about Georgia Degrees Pay, visit https://www.usg.edu/georgia-degrees-pay and to apply to CSU, click https://www.columbusstate.edu/admissions/applications/. Columbus State is waiving the admissions application fee for both undergraduate and graduate students for the month of November.