Georgia State began in 1913 as a night school for working adults in downtown Atlanta. It is now one of the nation's largest universities, with a campus woven through the business district. Georgia State plays football in the stadium built for the 1996 Olympics and presents concerts in the Rialto, on the site of a 1916 movie palace. It is known for raising graduation rates, and it awards more bachelor's degrees to Black students than any other traditional nonprofit university in the U.S.
About this site
Georgia State University is a college & university in Atlanta, Fulton County. It is one of 5 colleges & universities documented in Fulton County, among 643 historic sites cataloged across the county on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 33.7533, -84.3896 near Atlanta. The nearest cataloged historic site is Western and Atlantic Railroad Zero Milepost (historic place), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Birthplace of Coca-Cola, Zero Mile Post, and Citizen's and Southern Bank Building.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Georgia State University different
It began in 1913 as a night school where Atlanta office workers could study business after work. georgiaencyclopedia.org
Its football stadium was built for the 1996 Olympics. It then served as Turner Field, home of the Braves, from 1997 to 2016, before Georgia State bought it in 2017. en.wikipedia.org
Georgia State says it awards more bachelor's degrees to Black students than any other traditional nonprofit university in the U.S. commkit.gsu.edu
The university credits data-driven advising, which flags students who are falling behind, with raising its graduation rate by about 20 percentage points since 2003. commkit.gsu.edu
The Rialto Center for the Arts stands on the site of a 1916 movie palace that was once the Southeast's largest. Georgia State reopened it as an 833-seat concert hall in 1996. en.wikipedia.org
In the 2015 NCAA Tournament, R.J. Hunter's late three-pointer lifted 14th-seeded Georgia State past No. 3 Baylor. His father and coach, Ron Hunter, famously fell off his stool celebrating. en.wikipedia.org
The 2016 merger with Georgia Perimeter College made Georgia State one of the largest universities in the country by enrollment. georgiaencyclopedia.org
Georgia State started in 1913 as the Evening School of Commerce, a branch of Georgia Tech. Classes met at night in downtown Atlanta so that people with day jobs could earn business degrees. Women were admitted in 1917, and the first three-year commerce degrees were awarded in 1916. In 1933 the school split from Tech and became the University System of Georgia's own evening school. It then went through a string of names: Georgia State College of Business Administration in 1955, Georgia State College in 1962, and Georgia State University in 1969.
The school grew by taking over old downtown buildings as well as building new ones. Among them is the Rialto on Forsyth Street, a 1960s movie theater built on the site of a 1916 movie palace, which reopened as a university performing arts center in 1996. The College of Law opened in 1982 with evening classes for working students. Today it holds the top Carnegie research classification (R1). In 2016 it merged with Georgia Perimeter College, and enrollment rose from about 30,000 to more than 50,000.
The Panthers began playing football in 2010. In 2017 the university bought Turner Field, the former Olympic stadium and Braves ballpark, and rebuilt it for football. It is now Center Parc Stadium. Georgia State is also known for its work on student success. It uses data to spot students who are falling behind, and it raised its graduation rate by about 20 percentage points in two decades. M. Brian Blake has been president since 2021.
#1 public university for undergraduate teaching (seventh straight year) — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#3 most innovative public university — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#2 public university for first-year experiences — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#18 in social mobility — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#99 among public national universities — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#4 undergraduate insurance program (Robinson College of Business) — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#8 undergraduate information systems program (Robinson College of Business) — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
Majors & programs
Georgia State has 12 colleges and schools, from business, law and public policy to nursing, the arts and public health. Perimeter College offers two-year associate degrees that transfer into bachelor's programs. The list below gives representative programs from each college. The university's program finder has the full list.
Known for
Risk Management and Insurance
U.S. News ranked Robinson College's undergraduate insurance program #4 in the country (2027).
Known for
Computer Information Systems
Robinson's undergraduate information systems program is ranked #8 by U.S. News (2027).
Known for
Public Policy and Criminal Justice (Andrew Young School)
This policy school is named for the former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador, and it offers undergraduate and graduate policy degrees in the middle of downtown Atlanta.
Known for
Law (J.D.)
The College of Law opened in 1982 with evening classes for working students and still offers a part-time J.D. Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is a graduate.
Known for
Creative Media Industries
Ludacris, who studied music management at Georgia State, was named artist-in-residence at its Creative Media Industries Institute in 2019.
Known for
Associate degrees (Perimeter College)
Five suburban campuses offer more than 30 associate pathways, a common route into Georgia State's bachelor's programs.
All degree programs at Georgia State University (9)
College of Arts & Sciences
Majors include Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, History, Neuroscience, Political Science and Psychology · BA, BS, MA, MS, Ph.D.
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
Majors include Accounting, Actuarial Science, Computer Information Systems, Finance, Marketing, Real Estate, and Risk Management and Insurance · BBA, MBA, MS, Ph.D.
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Majors include Criminal Justice, Economics, Public Policy and Social Work · BA, BS, BSW, MPA, MSW, Ph.D.
College of the Arts
Art and design, film and media, music, and theatre · BA, BFA, BM, MFA
Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions
Majors include Nursing, Nutrition, Respiratory Therapy and Exercise Science · BS, BSN, MS, DNP, DPT
Andre Dickens — mayor of Atlanta since 2022 (Master of Public Administration) en.wikipedia.org
Keisha Lance Bottoms — mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022 (J.D., College of Law, 1994) en.wikipedia.org
Brad Raffensperger — Georgia secretary of state since 2019 (MBA) en.wikipedia.org
Jody Powell — White House press secretary to President Jimmy Carter (B.A., 1966) en.wikipedia.org
Ludacris (Chris Bridges) — Grammy-winning rapper and actor in the 'Fast & Furious' films; studied music management in 1998–99 (attended) en.wikipedia.org
William DuVall — co-lead singer of Alice in Chains (philosophy degree, late 1980s) en.wikipedia.org
Kat Cole — business executive, former president of Cinnabon and president of Focus Brands (MBA, 2010) en.wikipedia.org
Ray Stevens — Grammy-winning singer of 'Everything Is Beautiful' and 'The Streak' (attended Georgia State College) en.wikipedia.org
R. J. Hunter — two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year whose shot beat Baylor in the 2015 NCAA Tournament; later played in the NBA en.wikipedia.org
Wil Lutz — NFL placekicker and Pro Bowl selection who played college football for the Panthers en.wikipedia.org
2015 NCAA Tournament: No. 14 seed Georgia State upset No. 3 Baylor on R.J. Hunter's late three-pointer en.wikipedia.org
Bowl wins in the 2017 Cure Bowl, 2020 LendingTree Bowl, 2021 Camellia Bowl and 2023 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl en.wikipedia.org
Men's basketball conference tournament titles and NCAA Tournament trips, most recently in 2022 en.wikipedia.org
Football moved into the former Olympic stadium and Turner Field in 2017, playing its first game there on Aug. 31, 2017 en.wikipedia.org
Home venues: Center Parc Stadium (football) · Georgia State Convocation Center (basketball) · Georgia State Baseball Complex · Robert E. Heck Softball Complex · GSU Soccer Complex · Sharon Lester Tennis Center
Georgia State vs. Baylor: R.J. Hunter 3-pointer for the win · March MadnessPanthers purchase Turner Field · FOX 5 AtlantaGeorgia State's chatbot helps students navigate enrollment hurdles · Atlanta News FirstPotato Bowl: Georgia State Panthers vs. Utah State Aggies | Full Game Highlights · ESPN College Football
Its downtown Atlanta campus, its work helping students graduate, and business programs such as insurance and information systems. U.S. News has ranked it the #1 public university for undergraduate teaching seven years in a row (2027 edition).
How big is Georgia State?
Very large. The U.S. Department of Education counted 34,944 students on the Atlanta campus and 17,437 at Perimeter College in Fall 2024, about 52,400 in total. The university reports more than 53,000.
What division is Georgia State?
NCAA Division I (FBS). The Panthers play in the Sun Belt Conference, and football is played at Center Parc Stadium, the former Turner Field.
Is Center Parc Stadium the old Turner Field?
Yes. It was built as Centennial Olympic Stadium for the 1996 Games and was then the Braves' Turner Field from 1997 to 2016. Georgia State bought it in 2017 and rebuilt it for football.
What is Perimeter College?
Georgia State's two-year college. It was formerly Georgia Perimeter College and merged into the university in 2016. It offers associate degrees at campuses in Alpharetta, Clarkston, Decatur, Dunwoody and Newton County.
Can you visit Georgia State's campus?
Yes. The campus is spread across downtown streets and is open to walk. Admissions tours can be booked at admissions.gsu.edu/visit, and the Rialto Center for the Arts hosts public performances.
Who is the president of Georgia State?
M. Brian Blake, who has led the university since 2021.
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