Public · University

Valdosta State University

Valdosta, Georgia · Small city

72.3%
Admit rate
$10,945
Avg net price
42%
Graduation rate
$49,361
Median earnings

Valdosta State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Valdosta, Georgia (small city setting), enrolling 6,622 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 6,622 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 72% admitNCAA Division II with football · Gulf South Conference

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
72.3%
SAT (mid 50%)
920–1100
Avg GPA (est.)
2.96

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

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

About Valdosta, Georgia

Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County in the U.S. state of Georgia. Valdosta was incorporated on December 7, 1860, when it was designated by the state legislature as the new county seat, formerly at nearby Troupville. The railroad was built to Valdosta that year, rather than Troupville, stimulating development in the new county seat. The South Georgia Regional Library operates two libraries in Valdosta: Valdosta Lowndes County Library and Mae Wisenbaker McMullen Memorial Southside Library. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
66 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Valdosta (VLD)

How Valdosta State University compares

Selectivity72.3%

More selective than 59% · #23 most selective of 46 in Georgia

SAT average1013

Higher than 9%

Graduation rate42%

Higher than 27% · #25 of 54 in Georgia

First-year retention72%

Higher than 36%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$49,361

Higher than 37% · #20 of 54 in Georgia

Average net price$10,945

Cheaper than 88% · #8 cheapest of 54 in Georgia

Median debt at graduation$24,779

Lower than 40%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment6,622

Larger than 83%

Percentiles compare Valdosta 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

9,718students
  • Undergraduate6,62268%
  • Graduate3,09632%

Undergraduates by gender

6,622undergrads
  • Women4,15763%
  • Men2,46537%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White44%
  • Black37%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian1.6%
  • Other or multiracial5.9%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
6,622
Graduate enrollment
3,096
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
52%
First-generation students
31%
Students over 25
17%
Median family income
$35,444
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$77,454
Endowment
$73,754,731

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 1,134 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Georgia75%
  • Other U.S. states23%
  • International1.6%

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

2% 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
72.3%
Test scores
Required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
920–1100
SAT average
1013
SAT reading
480–570
SAT math
440–530
ACT composite
16–22
Average GPA (estimated)
2.96

Cost

In-state tuition
$6,124
Out-of-state tuition
$17,836
Room & board
$9,530
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$20,801
Average net price
$10,945

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)
42%
Graduated on time (4 years)
25%
First-year retention
72%
Transferred to another college
37%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$39,416
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$49,361
Median debt at graduation
$24,779
Students with federal loans
44%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
36%

About 17% 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
25%
Low-income (Pell)
31%
First-generation
31%

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
2,320
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
35%
Housing charge (year)
$4,772
Meal plan (year)
$4,288
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Gulf South Conference
Varsity athletes
328 (234 men · 94 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 (9)

Football143
Baseball46
Soccer30
Basketball28
Softball18
Cross Country17
Volleyball17
Tennis16
Golf13

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
20
Property offenses (2022–2024)
16

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (10,262 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.

12reported offenses a year
6.7 violent a year5.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
4.3
Burglary
3.3
Motor vehicle theft
1.7
Aggravated assault
1.3
Fondling
0.7
Robbery
0.3
Arson
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
$9,378
$30–48k
$9,541
$48–75k
$11,877
$75–110k
$14,906
$110k+
$15,905

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
$54,654

$11,877/year × about 4.6 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.

24%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$10,395
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 24% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $10,395. 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 1,081 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)
$49,361
Typical debt at graduation
$24,779
Debt vs. one year's pay
50%
Out-earn a HS grad
58%

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
$46,690
Men
$53,495

Men out-earn women by $6,805 (15%) 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
91°F
Winter low
40°F
Annual rain
48.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.57.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Valdosta 2 S, GA US station (3 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 Valdosta State University

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

Colleges near Valdosta 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.