Governors State University
Governors State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Governors State University Featured Rankings
- #11 Best Online MBAs Illinois
- #12 Best Public Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #13 Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #14 Illinois' Best Online Colleges 2026
- #16 Best Small Colleges in Illinois
- #17 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Illinois
- #21 Criminal Justice Liberal Arts Colleges
- #21 Illinois's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #21 Best Grad Schools Illinois 2026
- #32 Online Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies
About Governors State University
According to Wikipedia, Governors State University is a public university in University Park, Illinois. The campus is located south of Chicago, Illinois. GSU was founded in 1969. It is a public university offering degree programs at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels. GSU has four colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Education, and the College of Health and Human Services.
Governors State University's Online Degrees
BA in Business And Applied Science
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Teaching And Learning
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
EdD in Interdisciplinary Leadership
- Required Credits: 60
- Format: Fully online
BA in Interdisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Governors State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 48% | 56% | 23% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Governors State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $13,124 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $13,403 |
| 30K - 48K | $13,369 |
| 48K - 75K | $13,326 |
| 75K - 110K | $22,036 |
| 110K+ | $23,297 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Governors State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Governors State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $61,863 a year, and 90% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Governors State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 5,270 | 3,051 | 2,219 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Governors State University?
Governors State University is located at 1 University Pky, University Park, IL 60484.
How Safe is Governors State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Governors State University has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of 0.02%. University Park has a violent crime rate of 0.30% and a property crime rate of 1.74%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Governors State University Known For?
Governors State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Criminal Justice
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Social Work
- Psychology
- Political Science
- Education
- Business
- Computer Science
- Medical
- Nursing
- Economics
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Communications
- Literature
- History
Governors State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Governors State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Governors State University ranks #471 in the U.S. and #881 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesGovernors State University ranks #506 in the U.S. and #1743 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesGovernors State University ranks #538 in the U.S. and #1653 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesGovernors State University ranks #548 in the U.S. and #1339 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesGovernors State University ranks #591 in the U.S. and #1534 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesGovernors State University ranks #680 in the U.S. and #2910 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesGovernors State University ranks #690 in the U.S. and #2962 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesGovernors State University ranks #739 in the U.S. and #2809 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesGovernors State University ranks #755 in the U.S. and #3375 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesGovernors State University ranks #788 in the U.S. and #2782 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesGovernors State University ranks #809 in the U.S. and #2109 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesGovernors State University ranks #814 in the U.S. and #4714 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesGovernors State University ranks #837 in the U.S. and #3625 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesGovernors State University ranks #875 in the U.S. and #3448 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesGovernors State University ranks #980 in the U.S. and #4197 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesGovernors State University ranks #1077 in the U.S. and #4082 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesGovernors State University ranks #1477 in the U.S. and #4517 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesGovernors State University ranks #1654 in the U.S. and #5360 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWho Are Governors State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Governors State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Psychology. Here are some of Governors State University's most famous alumni:
