Private nonprofit · University

Brenau University

Gainesville, Georgia · Small city

87.8%
Admit rate
$18,924
Avg net price
33%
Graduation rate
$54,003
Median earnings

Brenau University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Gainesville, Georgia (small city setting), enrolling 1,029 undergraduates. It is a women's college.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,029 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 88% admitNAIA Division ICold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Brenau University's admitted students.

Admit rate
87.8%
SAT (mid 50%)
930–1200
Avg GPA (est.)
3.10

Enter a test score to see where you land against Brenau University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Brenau University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Gainesville, Georgia

Gainesville is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Georgia, United States. Gainesville was established as "Mule Camp Springs" by European-American settlers in the early 1800s. Less than three years after the organization of Hall County on December 15, 1818, Mule Camp Springs was renamed "Gainesville" on April 21, 1821. Gainesville is the home of the Gainesville Theater Alliance, which is a partnership between Brenau University, the University of North Georgia, Theatre Wings, and the Professional Company. This coalition provides theatrical entertainment for the entire Gainesville area. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
50 miles to Atlanta, GA
To the ocean
210 miles
Nearest airport
40 miles to DeKalb Peachtree (PDK)

How Brenau University compares

Selectivity87.8%

More selective than 29% · #33 most selective of 46 in Georgia

SAT average1079

Higher than 22%

Graduation rate33%

Higher than 14% · #39 of 54 in Georgia

First-year retention65%

Higher than 20%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$54,003

Higher than 50% · #11 of 54 in Georgia

Average net price$18,924

Cheaper than 55% · #27 cheapest of 54 in Georgia

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment1,029

Larger than 38%

Percentiles compare Brenau University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Georgia.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,192students
  • Undergraduate1,02947%
  • Graduate1,16353%

Undergraduates by gender

1,029undergrads
  • Women92490%
  • Men10510%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White42%
  • Black24%
  • Hispanic21%
  • Asian1.8%
  • Other or multiracial11%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,029
Graduate enrollment
1,163
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
46%
First-generation students
40%
Students over 25
29%
Median family income
$29,256
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$70,047
Endowment
$61,203,869

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 205 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Georgia89%
  • Other U.S. states6.8%
  • International3.9%

Most first-years stay in state — Brenau University draws overwhelmingly from Georgia.

4% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
87.8%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
930–1200
SAT average
1079
SAT reading
500–620
SAT math
430–580
ACT composite
18–22
Average GPA (estimated)
3.10

Cost

In-state tuition
$34,027
Room & board
$12,850
Books & supplies
$1,250
Total cost of attendance
$46,010
Average net price
$18,924

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
33%
Graduated on time (4 years)
27%
First-year retention
65%
Transferred to another college
47%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$41,664
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$54,003
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
70%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
39%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
27%
Low-income (Pell)
31%
First-generation
32%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
447
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
43%
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Varsity athletes
215 (0 men · 215 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (12)

Other Sports34
Basketball27
Track and Field (Outdoor)27
Soccer24
Track and Field (Indoor)24
Softball22
Swimming15
Volleyball13
Beach Volleyball11
Cross Country7
Tennis6
Golf5

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
5
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (2,436 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

2.0reported offenses a year
1.7 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
1.0
Fondling
0.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$19,481
$30–48k
$17,379
$48–75k
$18,420
$75–110k
$18,279
$110k+
$20,426

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$78,868

$18,420/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

86%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$19,626
average award, among those who get one

Brenau University discounts heavily: 86% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $19,626. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 215 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$54,003
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
50%
Out-earn a HS grad
68%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$52,054
Men
$76,859

Men out-earn women by $24,805 (48%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
88°F
Winter low
31°F
Annual rain
55.6″
Annual snow
1.6″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Gainesville, GA US station (2.2 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Brenau University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Brenau University side by side →

Colleges near Brenau University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.