Georgia State University College Portrait

The Georgia State student body is extremely diverse, with an enrollment that is roughly 40 percent white, a third African-American, nearly 15 percent Asian and 8 percent Hispanic.  By 2030, the nation’s demographic will mirror GSU’s. Georgia State educates students ready to go into the world already prepared in the diverse workforce that will define America. At Georgia State University, it is our highest priority to become a national model for undergraduate education by demonstrating that students from all backgrounds can achieve academic and career success. In recent years, the university has eliminated the achievement gap among graduation rates, bucking many national trends.

Georgia State recently adopted a five-goal strategic plan, which clearly sets the course for the university’s future. The overarching goal of Georgia State is to be recognized as a dynamic community where teaching and research combine to produce leaders and create solutions to conquer the challenges of the 21^st Century.

Under our Second Century Initiative faculty-hiring program, the university is greatly enhancing research and scholarship by making targeted investments in areas of strength.  By hiring clusters of faculty in emerging disciplines, we are finding new niches that will advance not only the university, but science itself.  With recent growth in fields like neuroscience, biotechnology and drug design, vaccine research, economic policy research, public health, risk management and international business, Georgia State researchers are engaged in research across a broad spectrum of programs that particularly address issues critical to the quality of life in urban centers.  

Graduate programs from across Georgia State University are also on the upward trend, ranked among the best in the nation in the most recent issue of U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Graduate Schools.. The College of Law, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and J. Mack Robinson College of Business each garnered a top-10 spot for specialty programs, while the law school, the policy school and the College of Education all moved up in the general rankings.

Georgia State is also achieving distinction through globalizing the university. The university has International Cooperation Agreements with more than 80 universities around the world and has recently identified five emerging market countries for focused partnership and growth. With targeted programming and a focused effort, Georgia State is committed to enhancing the global competency of students, faculty and staff.

The university is approaching its centennial anniversary in 2013 and has grown dramatically in scale, reputation and momentum during the 100 years since its founding.

Georgia State University is one of the nation’s leading urban research universities, educating a diverse population of students through teaching, research and service. More than 50,000 students are seeking degrees annually, attracted to the downtown Atlanta location and the mix of cultures, ages, and ideas that make Georgia State unique. Our students, faculty, staff, graduates and programs are integral to the city and our boundaries and influence are growing as our campus extends throughout the greater metropolitan area, with an economic impact on the metro area of more than $1 billion annually.