“Public R2 research university with three Georgia campuses, 150+ majors, and nearly 30,000 students.”
Georgia Southern University is a public research university founded in 1906 that has grown from 15 students and four faculty members on a former agricultural and mechanical school into one of Georgia's largest universities, enrolling more than 27,000 students across three residential campuses — the 900-acre flagship in Statesboro, the 268-acre Armstrong Campus in Savannah, and the Liberty Campus in Hinesville — plus an East Georgia campus in Swainsboro and a robust online college. Classified as a Carnegie R2 doctoral institution with high research activity, Georgia Southern is the fifth-largest institution in the University System of Georgia and offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through 10 colleges and 5 schools. The university is known for pairing hands-on career preparation with a strong regional identity. Georgia Southern is home to the only freestanding writing department in the state of Georgia and the only School of Economic Development in the southeastern United States, and its Institute for Coastal Plain Science houses the U.S. National Tick Collection — the largest in the world. Academic strengths span business, engineering, public health, nursing, education, aviation, and forensic accounting, and the university has been recognized as one of the nation's top online colleges and consistently ranked as a Military Friendly School at the Gold level for more than a decade. Student life revolves around 'Eagle Nation,' a community of NCAA Division I FBS athletics in the Sun Belt Conference (the football program holds six Division I-AA national championships), more than 300 student organizations, active Greek life, and traditions like 'Beautiful Eagle Creek' and the live bald eagle mascot 'Freedom' at the Center for Wildlife Education. Statesboro delivers the classic college-town experience, Savannah puts students in a historic coastal city, and a short drive opens up Tybee Island's beaches. For international students, Georgia Southern offers affordable in-state-style tuition structures at a large comprehensive university, a mild Deep South climate, and graduate outcomes tied to Atlanta, Savannah, and Jacksonville's job markets.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
International Student Enrollment (F-1)
DHS SEVIS by the Numbers (2024)
Research Activity
Carnegie Classifications (2021)
Research Classification
Carnegie Classification
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Action
Priority scholarship consideration
Regular Decision
Priority deadline; final deadline is May 1
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$6,022
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$17,734
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $17,734
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
