ATLANTA – Georgia State University has set records for the largest enrollment and largest freshman class in its history.
More than 54,000 students signed up for the fall semester at Georgia State, with more than 5,200 freshmen entering the downtown Atlanta campus. The previous records were set last year with more than 53,000 students and 4,600 freshmen.
“This is the first time in Georgia State history we have topped 5,000 students in our fall freshman bachelor’s class,” said Timothy M. Renick, senior vice president for student success at Georgia State.
“While some may find it surprising that Georgia State is setting enrollment records during a pandemic, the value of a college education has never been higher and with all the flexibility we provide, Georgia State has never been a more attractive option.”
Meanwhile, more than 2,500 freshmen are starting classes at Georgia State’s Perimeter College campuses. Since Georgia State’s consolidation with Georgia Perimeter College in 2016, graduation rates at the two-year school have tripled.
Overall, Georgia State awarded more than 10,500 degrees in the last academic year, another record that surpasses the previous high of 10,200 in 2019. Those students completed their last semester taking their classes online after the spread of COVID-19 prompted the University System of Georgia to shut down in-person instruction.
Incoming freshmen at the Atlanta campus scored an average high school grade point average of 3.54, also a record.
The university also set all-time highs for the number of Black and Hispanic students enrolled as freshmen, up 5 percent and 2 percent, respectively, over last year’s record highs.
Georgia State students hail from 49 states and more than 167 nations and territories.