What is the acceptance rate at Governors State University?

Governors State University's acceptance rate is approximately 48% (University Park, IL), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.

How much does Governors State University cost?

At Governors State University, the average net price (after aid) is about $12,329 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.

How many undergraduates attend Governors State University?

Governors State University enrolls approximately 2,556 undergraduate students.

Where is Governors State University located?

Governors State University is located in University Park, IL.

Governors State University: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Cost — QuantAdmit

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Governors State University

University Park, ILpublicgovst.edu

Acceptance

48%

Avg net price

$12,329

Earnings (10 yr)

$58,169

Graduation rate

22%

Admit rate has ranged 46%–57% over the last 4 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.

Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.

Governors State University, a public institution just outside Chicago, serves a diverse student body with career-focused programs and an unusually intimate 10:1 student-faculty ratio. While its 48% acceptance rate makes it accessible, its 22% graduation rate reveals significant challenges. These are offset by strong affordability, with an average net price of $12,329, and median alumni earnings of $58,169 a decade after starting.

Admission requirements

Test-optional — scores considered if submitted

Required

High school transcript
Grade point average
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)

Considered (not required)

Test scores (SAT/ACT)

Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.

More details

Undergrad enrollment: 2,556
In-state tuition: $12,004
Out-of-state tuition: $12,004
Campus Housing: 10% live on-campus
Graduation Rate: 20%
Student-Faculty Ratio: 10:1
Median Alumni Earnings: $43,030

Outcomes & value

Median earnings (10 yr): $58,169
Value (earnings ÷ net price): 4.7×
Median debt at graduation: $18,618
Graduation rate: 22%
First-year retention: 56%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr): 45%
Pell (lower-income) share: 54%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients): 43%

Top-earning majors

Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$81,491
Accounting and Related Services$46,087
Computer Science$45,696
Computer and Information Sciences, General$41,937
Business Administration, Management and Operations$40,855
Biology, General

Campus & location

Campus safety

On-campus violent crimes (2024): 0
Per 1,000 students: 0.00

On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.

Climate

Pleasant days / yr: 84
Summer high: 81°F
Winter low: 22°F
Annual rain: 49.2"
Annual snow: 28.8"
Natural-hazard risk: Relatively High

Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.

Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility

Research output

Institutional h-index: 74
Scholarly works: 2,343

Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.

Quick answers

What is the acceptance rate at Governors State University?: Governors State University's acceptance rate is approximately 48% (University Park, IL), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How much does Governors State University cost?: At Governors State University, the average net price (after aid) is about $12,329 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Governors State University?: Governors State University enrolls approximately 2,556 undergraduate students.
Where is Governors State University located?: Governors State University is located in University Park, IL.

Admissions

Governors State maintains a 48% acceptance rate, making it moderately selective—though notably more accessible than many Illinois public universities. The university is test-optional, with admitted students typically posting ACT scores between 13–21 or SAT scores of 830–1,060. Notably, scoring above 1020 (SAT) or 22 (ACT) nearly guarantees admission. The admissions process emphasizes actionable applications rather than strict cutoffs, aligning with its mission to serve non-traditional and students.

bigfuture.collegeboard.org usnews.com prepscholar.com govst.edu collegeraptor.com

Academics

GSU offers 31 bachelor’s, 27 master’s, and 5 doctoral programs, with a focus on career-ready competencies. The 10:1 student-faculty ratio and 60% of classes under 20 students foster close mentorship—a rarity for a public university. Popular majors include Liberal Studies, Psychology, and Business (the College of Business emphasizes hands-on projects and applied learning). The university structures its offerings across six colleges, with particular strength in education and health sciences.