Public · University

Clayton State University

Morrow, Georgia · Large suburb

#5 best value in Georgia
68.5%
Admit rate
$8,365
Avg net price
40%
Graduation rate
$49,179
Median earnings

Clayton State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Morrow, Georgia (large suburb setting), enrolling 4,348 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 4,348 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 68% admitNCAA Division II without footballCold winters

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
68.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
860–1078
Avg GPA (est.)
2.82

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

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

About Morrow, Georgia

Morrow is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The community was named after Radford E. Morrow, the original owner of the town site. Morrow was founded in 1846 with the advent of the railroad into the area. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
11 miles to Atlanta, GA
To the ocean
214 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta (ATL) · major hub

How Clayton State University compares

Selectivity68.5%

More selective than 66% · #20 most selective of 46 in Georgia

SAT average958

Higher than 4%

Graduation rate40%

Higher than 22% · #31 of 54 in Georgia

First-year retention71%

Higher than 33%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$49,179

Higher than 36% · #21 of 54 in Georgia

Average net price$8,365

Cheaper than 94% · #5 cheapest of 54 in Georgia

Median debt at graduation$25,706

Lower than 27%

Student–faculty ratio20 : 1

Lower than 10%

Undergraduate enrollment4,348

Larger than 75%

Percentiles compare Clayton State 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

4,960students
  • Undergraduate4,34888%
  • Graduate61212%

Undergraduates by gender

4,348undergrads
  • Women3,07171%
  • Men1,27729%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White8.5%
  • Black66%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian5.0%
  • Other or multiracial8.6%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
4,348
Graduate enrollment
612
Student–faculty ratio
20 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
52%
First-generation students
38%
Students over 25
31%
Median family income
$24,211
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$77,958
Endowment
$20,879,752

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 500 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Georgia96%
  • Other U.S. states3.0%
  • International0.8%

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

1% 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
68.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
860–1078
SAT average
958
SAT reading
450–558
SAT math
410–520
ACT composite
15–19
Average GPA (estimated)
2.82

Cost

In-state tuition
$5,180
Out-of-state tuition
$16,532
Room & board
$12,226
Books & supplies
$1,250
Total cost of attendance
$17,415
Average net price
$8,365

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)
40%
Graduated on time (4 years)
18%
First-year retention
71%
Transferred to another college
29%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$41,633
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$49,179
Median debt at graduation
$25,706
Students with federal loans
38%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
29%

About 22% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
18%
Low-income (Pell)
34%
First-generation
34%

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
1,246
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
29%
Housing charge (year)
$7,142
Meal plan (year)
$4,386
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division II without football
Varsity athletes
242 (124 men · 118 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 (5)

Soccer67
Track and Field (Indoor)59
Track and Field (Outdoor)59
Basketball36
Cross Country21

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
25
Property offenses (2022–2024)
24

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (6,163 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.

16reported offenses a year
8.3 violent a year8.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
4.7
Rape
4.3
Motor vehicle theft
3.3
Aggravated assault
2.3
Fondling
1.7

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
$7,405
$30–48k
$7,032
$48–75k
$9,755
$75–110k
$12,095
$110k+
$14,161

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
$47,037

$9,755/year × about 4.8 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.

10%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$8,165
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 10% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $8,165. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

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 508 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)
$49,179
Typical debt at graduation
$25,706
Debt vs. one year's pay
52%
Out-earn a HS grad
58%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.2 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
$47,536
Men
$53,954

Men out-earn women by $6,418 (14%) 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
90°F
Winter low
32°F
Annual rain
52.9″
Annual snow
0.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Jonesboro, GA US station (4.6 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 Clayton State University

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

Colleges near Clayton State 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.