Governors State University
University Park, Illinois · Also known as GSU · Website
$58,169
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$58,169
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Governors State University is a public 4-year college in University Park, Illinois with 2,556 undergraduates and 1,825 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $12,329 a year (tuition and fees $12,004). It admits 48% of applicants and 22% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $58,169 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $18,618 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$12,329
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$12,004
US median $11,837
Admission rate
48%
US median 78%
Completion rate
22%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$18,618
About $197 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$58,169
Rank 900 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $12,329
- Tuition and fees
- $12,004
- Cost of attendance
- $24,227
- Students with a need-based grant
- 54%
- Students with federal loans
- 38%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $9,563
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $10,933
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $11,705
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,741
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $22,076
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $10,246 in 2015-16 to $12,004 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 48%
- SAT reading, middle
- 480
- SAT math, middle
- 465
- ACT, middle
- 19
- Undergraduates
- 2,556
- Graduate students
- 1,825
- Part-time students
- 32%
- Women
- 63%
- Students per teacher
- 11
- Completion rate
- 22%
- Retention rate
- 56%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 75
- Endowment
- $2.80M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 900 of 5,094 US colleges and 38 of 189 in Illinois (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | IL median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $12,329 | $15,156 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $12,004 | $13,291 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 48% | 77% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 22% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 56% | 72% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $18,618 | $10,297 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $45,435 | $34,234 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $58,169 | $39,544 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 45% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 71% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
75 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer ScienceMaster's | Master's | 144 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $145,571 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 96 | $17,885 | $44,436 | $59,562 | $68,257 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 89 | $26,500 | $42,107 | $50,703 | $53,072 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 84 | $19,480 | $29,449 | $47,048 | $50,706 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $20,000 | $42,456 | $55,811 | $55,378 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 44 | $19,813 | $45,235 | $46,895 | $47,382 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 42 | $41,000 | $52,231 | $62,482 | $65,123 |
| Medical Illustration and InformaticsMaster's | Master's | 41 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 40 | $18,750 | $47,836 | $61,223 | $76,194 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's | Master's | 37 | $47,477 | $52,581 | $63,633 | $65,184 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's | Master's | 33 | Withheld | $80,009 | $92,964 | $71,685 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsProfessional | Professional | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesMaster's | Master's | 29 | $42,900 | $59,492 | $56,452 | $67,030 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsMaster's | Master's | 29 | $68,912 | $44,369 | $58,036 | $59,571 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $15,000 | $48,567 | $70,895 | $92,374 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $15,750 | $52,115 | $79,154 | $107,009 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $20,000 | $44,498 | $53,227 | $58,716 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsMaster's | Master's | 25 | $69,700 | $69,605 | $57,823 | $71,416 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's | Master's | 25 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $17,250 | $27,071 | $47,475 | $56,359 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementMaster's | Master's | 23 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's | Master's | 23 | $41,125 | $101,783 | $131,619 | $120,193 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 22 | $17,928 | $36,537 | $51,027 | $58,808 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 20 | $49,932 | $72,212 | $76,515 | $103,485 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | $22,962 | $44,133 | $56,123 | $51,790 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of University Park and Illinois on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Illinois
- Homes: Homes for sale in Illinois
Questions and answers
How much does Governors State University cost?
$12,329 a year is the average net price at Governors State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $12,004, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $24,227. Families earning under $30,000 pay $9,563 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Governors State University?
48% of applicants are admitted to Governors State University. The median admission rate of colleges in Illinois is 77%.
How much do Governors State University graduates earn?
$58,169 a year is the median pay of former Governors State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($45,435 after 6 years). That ranks 900 of 5,094 US colleges and 38 of 189 in Illinois. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's) at $101,783.
How much student debt do Governors State University graduates have?
$18,618 is the median federal student loan debt of Governors State University graduates, about $197 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 38% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Governors State University?
22% of first-time, full-time students at Governors State University finish within 6 years. 56% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Governors State University?
Computer Science (144 master's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (96 bachelor's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (89 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 75 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.