Governors State University
University Park, IL
48.3%
Acceptance Rate
$12,004
Avg Cost (In-State)
$12,004
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
20.9%
Graduation Rate
2,556
Total Enrollment
By the numbers
Governors State University, at a glance
Graduation rate is the standard federal 6-year completion rate (students often take longer than four years). Earnings & selectivity rankings are computed across every US college in our catalog. Figures from College Scorecard / IPEDS; sticker cost is before financial aid.
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
Rolling admissions
Common App
No
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
0
Letters of Rec
0
Application Fee
$25
Interview
Not required
Essays: Personal statement may be required for some programs but not for general undergraduate admission
Note: Minimum 2.0 GPA for transfer students with 24+ credit hours; high school transcripts required for students with fewer than 24 credit hours
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$45,435
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$58,169
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
21%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | $44,436 | $59,562 | 120 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. | $42,107 | $50,703 | 114 |
| Psychology, General. | $29,449 | $47,048 | 91 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections. | $42,456 | $55,811 | 74 |
| Communication and Media Studies. | $27,071 | $47,475 | 55 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. | $45,235 | $46,895 | 54 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services. | $44,498 | $53,227 | 53 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | $48,567 | $70,895 | 51 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Calculate Your Cost at Governors State University
Get a personalized estimate of what you'd pay to attend Governors State University
Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Northwestern Pell Promise
100% need met, no loans, for Pell-eligible families
universityAdmitted Northwestern students eligible for federal Pell Grant; institutional aid replaces loans.
Deadline: FAFSA + CSS Profile
Learn more ↗Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago Scholarship
Varies
localJain youth members of JSMC in greater Chicago area pursuing higher education.
Deadline: Spring
Learn more ↗Illinois State Bar Foundation Scholarship
$1,500-$5,000
stateIL law students with academic merit.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗Illinois CPA Society Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Award
$2,000-$5,000
stateIL accounting students with academic merit + service.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗Northwestern Good Neighbor Great University Scholarship
Full need-met + housing
universityChicago Public Schools graduates admitted to NU with demonstrated need.
Deadline: CSS Profile + FAFSA
Learn more ↗Loyola University Chicago Damen Scholarship
Full tuition + summer programs
universityTop Loyola Chicago incoming freshmen via competitive process.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Northwestern Stamps Scholars
Full cost of attendance + summer enrichment + research stipend
universityTop ~10 NU freshmen nationally via competitive Stamps process.
Deadline: November 1
Learn more ↗U Chicago Empower Initiative
Full tuition for families under $125k; reduced for under $300k
universityAll admitted U Chicago students with demonstrated need at multiple income tiers.
Deadline: CSS Profile + FAFSA
Learn more ↗Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Distinguished Scholar Award
$1,000
stateIL HS senior athletes 3.75+ GPA participating in IHSA-sanctioned sports.
Deadline: Spring
Learn more ↗Net price by income
What it actually costs your family.
Average net price (tuition, fees, room/board minus grant aid) by household income tier, AY 2023–24. Source: IPEDS NPRC1.
| Household income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0 – $30,000 | $9,563 |
| $30,001 – $48,000 | $10,933 |
| $48,001 – $75,000 | $11,705 |
| $75,001 – $110,000 | $16,741 |
| $110,001+ | $22,076 |
Cost calculator
See the full income-tier cost breakdown for Governors State University →
Type your household income and get a per-family estimate, plus % off sticker and a methodology breakdown.
Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 48.3% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
48.27%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
53.6%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
42.6%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
60.8%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
56.2%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
22.1%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Transfer pathways
Routes in from a community college.
From IL community colleges
articulation onlyGovernors State is structurally built around transfer enrollment — for most of its history it was an upper-division-only institution. The Dual Degree Program (DDP) partners with 17 Illinois community colleges and guarantees admission, advising, and locked-in tuition for students …
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