Founded in 1913 as the Georgia Tech Evening School of Commerce and expanding into an independent university in 1955, Georgia State University is a major public urban research university located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Spanning an extensive urban footprint integrated directly into the street grid of downtown Atlanta alongside five Perimeter College campuses across the metropolitan region, GSU is one of the largest universities by enrollment in the Southeast. You can explore its historic evolution and urban growth on the Georgia State University Wikipedia historical page.
When you attend Georgia State, you enter a dynamic urban institution celebrated nationally as a model for student success and social mobility. Living in downtown Atlanta gives you immediate access to state capital offices, corporate headquarters, major financial institutions, media studios, and healthcare networks.
Premier Academic Programs
Georgia State hosts 11 specialized colleges and schools delivering accredited undergraduate and graduate instruction:
- J. Mack Robinson College of Business: Top-ranked institution for risk management, real estate finance, health administration, and commercial analytics. Explore degree options on the Robinson College of Business portal.
- Andrew Young School of Policy Studies: Internationally recognized center for public administration, non-profit management, urban policy, and criminology.
- Georgia State University College of Law: Premier public law school specializing in health law, urban legal policy, intellectual property, and trial advocacy.
- School of Public Health: Focuses on urban health disparities, biostatistics, environmental health hazards, and epidemiology research.
- Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII): State-of-the-art center preparing students for careers in film production, game design, and digital media.
" Veritas Valet, translated from Latin as Truth Prevails, serves as Georgia State's official motto, guiding urban research."
Campus Culture and Mascot
Your daily student experience centers on Hurt Park, Unity Plaza, and the vibrant pedestrian avenues connecting downtown academic towers. School spirit revolves around Pounce the Panther, the energetic blue panther mascot who leads student cheers during NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference athletic events. You can read about the history and campus traditions surrounding Pounce on the official Pounce the Panther Mascot story page. Cheering inside Center Parc Credit Union Stadium for football games, rubbing the bronze Pounce statue nose for exam luck, and joining over 500 student organizations creates a close-knit urban community.
Research Infrastructure and Biosafety Installations
Georgia State operates an R1 doctoral research enterprise driving breakthroughs in biomedical science and urban policy:
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences: High-impact research institute advancing therapeutics against viral respiratory pathogens and inflammatory diseases.
- Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) Laboratory: One of only a few university-based high-containment laboratories in the nation authorized to conduct research on dangerous viral pathogens. Learn more via Georgia State Research Operations.
- Urban Studies Institute: Conducts applied interdisciplinary research addressing housing policy, transit systems, and economic growth.
Notable Alumni Legacy
You walk in the footsteps of public servants, corporate executives, media champions, and civil rights leaders, including:
- Keisha Lance Bottoms: Former Mayor of Atlanta and senior White House advisor who earned her Juris Doctor degree at Georgia State Law.
- Ludacris (Chris Bridges): Grammy Award-winning rapper, actor, and philanthropist who studied music management at Georgia State.
- Joey Gibson: Business executive and co-founder of major regional financial services companies.
- Sam Massell: Former Mayor of Atlanta and legendary president of the Buckhead Coalition who graduated from Georgia State.
Georgia State University offers generous financial aid packages and merit scholarship coverage for qualified domestic and international students. Review full entry guidelines and application steps on the official Georgia State Admissions portal.