Georgia students facing decisions about their future after high school now have a tool they can turn to. University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue this week unveiled ‘Georgia Degrees Pay’ – a new online portal that is designed to help students and their parents make decisions on college affordability and value.
“As one of the best public university systems in the nation, the University System of Georgia is leading the nation in giving students, families and stakeholders in-depth access to data in a centralized, easy to use and transparent fashion,” Perdue said during this week’s Board of Regents meeting. “Georgia Degrees Pay puts helpful data about degree attainment, student success, costs and affordability at their fingertips, making it easier for them to decide how college can help them obtain greater prosperity and career growth.”
The website has many unique features including a ‘future earnings tool’ which allows users to see the average earnings of USG graduates in Georgia after they receive their degree, as well as earnings for different majors, earnings by alumni from different institutions and a range of earnings by academic area for one, five and 10 years after graduation.
Each of the tools allow users to compare colleges and universities on an array of statistics. For example, in the cost of attendance tool, users can compare tuition and mandatory fees, total cost of attendance, average scholarships and grants and net price. As families factor in the cost of their education and their potential student loans, the website will allow them to see the percentage of students who borrow each year, the average amount borrowed each year and the percentage of graduates who have any debt from pursuing their bachelor’s degree. It also provides data on the average amount borrowed among bachelor’s degree graduates, the percentage of graduates who have any debt from pursuing their associate degree, average amount borrowed among associate degree graduates and the loan default rate for graduates.
“In Georgia, we have some of the best colleges and universities in the nation and a reputation for quality, affordable higher education,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “The ‘Georgia Degrees Pay’ resource will further that access and affordability, strengthening our position as the best place to live, work, learn, and raise a family. I commend the Board of Regents, Chancellor Perdue, and his staff for standing this new asset up, and I look forward to the benefits it will bring to learners across the state who will soon enter our robust workforce.”
Students also can compare the makeup of the student body at two institutions as well as the percentage of students who continue into their second year, the percentage who graduate and how long on average it takes them to finish their degree. The tool also compares the percentage of Georgia students who earn and retain the HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships.
According to information from USG, students are encouraged to compare institutions from the same sector. USG’s 26 institutions fall into four general sectors – research universities, comprehensive universities, state universities and state colleges – each with unique missions, requirements and academic programs to meet a range of student needs across the state.
