2024 Complete College Georgia: Georgia State University

When it comes to higher education, the vision of the United States as a land of equal opportunity is far from a reality. Today, it is eight times more likely that an individual in the top quartile of Americans by annual household income will hold a college degree than an individual in the lowest quartile.   Nationally, white students graduate from college at rates more than 10 points higher than Hispanic students and are more than twice as likely to graduate with a 4-year college degree when compared to black students.   According to the United States Department of Education, Pell-eligible students nationally have a six-year graduation-rate of 39%, a rate that is 20 points lower than the national average.  Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated inequities in higher education and is serving to make reducing these differences even more challenging for colleges across the nation.

Certainly, these challenges are faced at Georgia State University. In 2003, Georgia State was the embodiment of these national failings.  The institutional 6-year graduation rate for bachelor’s students stood at 32% and underserved populations were foundering.  Graduation rates were 22% for Hispanics, 29% for African Americans, and 18% for African American males.  Pell students were graduating at a rate more than 10 percentage points lower than non-Pell students. KEY WORDS: Student Success