Augusta University Acceptance Rate, Admissions & Graduation

That is what I am going to give you here. None of this replaces your own research or the financial aid letter your child will receive. But it does give you firm ground on which to start building.

What Kind of University It Is

Let’s start with the basics: Augusta University is a four-year public university located in Augusta, Georgia, within Richmond County and the Augusta-Richmond County metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is right in the heart of the city—if your child plans to live at home, drive the route on a weekday at the time of their classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.

In the system that classifies US universities by what they do, Augusta is listed among doctoral institutions with high research activity. Officially, it is a school with substantial academic ambition: a doctoral degree is the highest level it reports offering, and the federal classification places it among institutions that primarily award bachelor’s degrees or higher. That is an institutional fact, not a promise that your child’s specific field of study continues through the graduate level at the same school—verify the pathway for that particular field.

Here is something worth knowing now, because it changes how you should picture your child’s daily life there: the Carnegie classification describes Augusta as a primarily nonresidential institution. That means that, according to the data used for that label (from 2019-20), either fewer than one in four undergraduate students lived in institution-owned housing or fewer than half studied full time. The data do not indicate which of the two conditions applied, and this also does not mean there are no residence halls—there are, as you will see later. But if your child will commute every day, what you need to account for now is the bus, gas, and time on the road, not just tuition.

Another fact about its identity: Augusta University has none of these three federal designations: it is not a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. That says nothing about which students it serves today or how your child will feel there. You can find that out by asking which cultural centers and student organizations currently exist and by talking with someone who already attends the campus.

And one fact for someone arriving from another university: Carnegie places Augusta among the institutions in its category that receive the most incoming transfer students. That historical label does not say how many credits students bring with them or how many they lose in the transition. If your child plans to transfer here, ask in writing, before enrolling, which courses will count and which will not.

A Community of Nearly Ten Thousand, With More Graduate Students Than It May Seem

Augusta University had 9,862 enrolled students in the official fall count. It is neither one of the smallest nor one of the largest universities; it falls within the 5,000 to 9,999 range, and compared with similar selective public schools, its size is among the most common.

But that large number conceals something your family needs to know: it consists of 5,684 undergraduate students and 4,178 graduate students. If your child is entering an undergraduate program, the number that truly matters is 5,684, not the total. A large part of this school’s population consists of people who have already completed a degree and returned for another credential.

And who are the undergraduate students? Out of every 100, 10 are Hispanic or Latino—a small minority, although the school ranks above the midpoint among the other 519 selective public schools of the same type. Having few Latino students does not remove the school from your list, but it is worth asking during a visit what exists for Latino students: a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish.

There are more women than men among undergraduates—64 out of every 100 are women. Students ages 25 to 64 are a minority, just 12 out of every 100: this is a campus where most students enroll when they are young. And something important if your child comes from outside Georgia: out of every 100 first-time students, 95 reported a permanent address in the same state when they applied. Nearly all are local. If your child’s permanent address is in another state, ask directly which rate would apply—that is different from this count of students’ places of origin.

How the Academic Year Is Structured

Augusta organizes its calendar by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The school stated that it accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not check the box for credit for life experience. It also reports enrolling high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program and accepting credit for military training.

Here is an important limitation: saying that they accept AP does not mean they award credit for every exam. We do not know what score they require, how many credits they award, or whether those credits count toward the specific program your child wants. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.

As for degrees: between July 2022 and June 2023, Augusta awarded 1,015 bachelor’s degrees across 19 fields of study. Health professions awarded the most degrees, accounting for 28 out of every 100 degrees that year—the largest field, but no single one accounts for the entire total. The offerings are broad rather than concentrated in one area. Still, 19 active fields do not mean 19 specific majors, nor do they guarantee that the one your child is interested in is available. Verify the specific program.

Regarding class size, Augusta reports a ratio of 16 students per full-time-equivalent faculty member. It falls in the middle, neither among the lowest nor among the highest compared with similar schools. Keep in mind that this number does not show the actual size of first-year classes. It is an institutional ratio, not a picture of a classroom.

The institution also reports offering structured opportunities such as study abroad, teacher certification preparation, and state approval for initial teacher certification programs. It is worth asking about each by name if any of them fits what your child wants to do.

How Admission Decisions Are Made

This is where many families become nervous unnecessarily. Let’s take it one step at a time.

Augusta does not have open admission: it reviews certain things before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marked four as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory course sequence the university requires, and an English proficiency exam when applicable. By contrast, it does not consider class rank, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, or whether a relative studied there for admission. The transcript matters, not the statement of purpose.

If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English proficiency exam applies and what would exempt them. This is one of those things families discover late, making everything more complicated.

Now for the figure that brings the most reassurance: Augusta received 5,892 first-year applications in the 2023 cycle and offered admission to 5,262 applicants. That is 89 out of every 100. It is a university that does admit applicants, and that percentage ranks slightly above the midpoint among similar selective public schools. Even so, 630 applicants did not receive an offer—the application must be complete and submitted on time.

But a likely admission does not make what comes next easy. That 89 does not say how much it will cost, how many students finish, or whether the specific program your child wants has its own screening process. Those three questions must be answered separately, and you will see them in the following sections.

Here is something that surprises many families: out of every 100 admitted applicants, only 23 enrolled the following fall. The other 77 had a place and did not take it. Do not read that as a stain on the school—the fact that most admitted applicants did not enroll does not mean the school is bad; the record does not explain why each person made the decision they did. What other people did also does not tell you what the school will offer your child. Wait for your child’s letter showing the net price—that is what the year will actually cost, and you can use that number to decide whether the school stays on the list.

Regarding tests, the SAT or ACT is required here. Among those who enrolled, 56 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores—one of the highest shares among universities of its type. Among those students, the middle half scored between 520 and 630 in reading and writing and between 500 and 600 in math. If your child is below those numbers, it does not mean they will be excluded—but it is something to address early, not the week before applying.

And regarding transfers, leaving before finishing is common here. Out of every 100 students who entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 36 transferred to another school without completing at Augusta. This is one of the highest shares among similar schools. At the same time, Augusta also receives many incoming transfer students: 469 students arrived in fall 2023 after studying at another institution. There is a calculation that almost no one sees, but it carries a lot of weight here: a student who transfers is not counted as a graduate of this school, even if the student completes a degree elsewhere. Keep that in mind when you compare graduation rates later in this article—and remember that the data count the transfer, not whether the student ultimately did well or poorly.

The Sticker Price and What Students Actually Pay

At Augusta University, among 174 full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $10,597. Among 113 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $13,829; among 111 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $16,901. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.

The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (174 students) and the average for the highest-income band (111 students) is $6,304. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $13,486.

$10,597 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.

The income bands in this profile describe full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.

The Aid Available and the Debt You Need to Face Directly

Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Augusta, 81 received a grant or scholarship that does not have to be repaid, with an annual average of $8,644 among those who received it. And 41 out of every 100 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for families with demonstrated financial need.

Keep something important in mind: the percentage and the average should not be multiplied by each other. One says how many students received aid; the other says how much those who received it were awarded. They are different calculations with different denominators.

Now for the loan portion, without cushioning it: 38 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 year, with an average of $6,184 per student that year. That percentage is among the most common compared with similar schools—neither among those that generate the most debt nor among those that generate the least.

This number describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow comes from their own financial aid letter, and you need to wait for that letter before ruling out the school or committing to it. In addition, that average covers only federal loans in the student’s name for one year—it does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or the amount accumulated over several years through graduation. That total is not in this report.

The institution does offer a tuition installment payment plan, if that helps organize the family budget.

Campus Life, Learning Format, and Support

Augusta does have institution-owned housing, with capacity for 1,228 students on or off campus. It is not mandatory for all full-time, first-time students—but that does not indicate whether a particular program may require it. The school also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by plan. The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed: request this year’s rate, the housing application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list, all in writing.

ROTC is available, with the Army branch confirmed in writing in the report—Navy and Air Force are not marked, which does not mean they are unavailable, only that you need to ask directly.

Augusta competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child wants to play, the membership belongs to the school, not to your child—write directly to the coach for that sport and ask whether there is a roster spot, which division the team competes in, and whether it offers athletic scholarships. Get the response in writing.

Regarding distance education, Augusta offers it at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although only 6 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance—the other 94 took at least one class in person. It also reports at least one program that can be completed entirely at a distance; confirm the exact level and program if that interests you.

The library operates with paid staff, has physical and digital materials, and offers interlibrary lending. The institution also reports several forms of support: combined academic and career counseling, placement services after program completion, on-campus child care, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a designated point of contact for veterans and military personnel, a veterans’ student organization, and a disability services webpage. The fact that these services are reported does not say how they work in practice—ask about each by name and in detail when you visit.

How Many Students Stay and How Many Graduate

This is perhaps the most important section for your family’s plan because it directly affects a multiyear budget.

Of the full-time cohort that entered in fall 2022 (1,029 students), 73 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already completed a bachelor’s degree one year later. This ranks slightly below the midpoint among similar schools. The data do not separate how many were still studying from how many had already graduated, nor do they show what happened to the rest—and not returning is not the same as dropping out: someone who transferred to another university and continues studying there is counted differently from someone who stopped studying altogether.

Now for graduation, using the two time frames that truly matter to a family:

There are 22 percentage points of difference between the two time frames. Four years is the amount of time most families include in their budget—and here there is a real gap that must be faced directly, not glanced at from the corner of your eye. At six years, it is nearly half and half: 49 out of every 100 had a bachelor’s degree from this school, while 51 did not. The report counts outcomes, not the reasons for each case. Before deciding, ask what specific support the school offers to help students finish on time and how long, on average, the particular program your child is interested in takes—because every additional semester has a real cost that is not included in this number.

At eight years, looking at a different and broader cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016, 57 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this school. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 53 out of every 100—8 percentage points below the group that did not receive Pell Grants. Compared with similar schools, that eight-year share ranks below the midpoint of the group. If your family qualifies or might qualify for Pell, it is worth asking the school what specifically is available for those students: an assigned counselor, emergency aid, and whether the institutional scholarship is renewed each year. Get the response in writing.

What This Means for Your Plan

You now know one university in detail: how people are admitted, what it costs at its two prices, how likely a student is to stay and graduate, and what support exists around academic life. That is a real and necessary piece—but it is only one piece.

The university’s responsibility is to admit students, offer aid, and answer your questions in writing. Your child’s responsibility is their effort, their curiosity, the field of study they choose, and their own voice in this decision. Your responsibility is the family’s money, the documents, the deadlines, and creating the conditions for the decision to be made with information rather than fear or haste.

Combine what you learned here with what your child wants to study, what they have built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. From that combination—not from a single article or a single number—comes a plan that can truly serve your family.

Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by Augusta University to the US Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, with comparisons against a census of selective four-year public universities. Best College Aid does not represent Augusta University or the US government; this article does not replace the admission letter, the financial aid letter, or direct communication with the institution.