The Georgia Institute of Technology began in 1885 when it was founded as the Georgia School of Technology to provide trade school-level education to its students as the region began transforming from an agrarian to an industrial economy.
The school soon established itself as a significant technical university in the region, and it changed its name to the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1948 to reflect the increase in research and advanced studies undertaken at the institution.
The university began accepting female students in 1952, and the school integrated African-American students in 1961 as the first in the Deep South to do so without a court order.
The student body at the schools comprises students from all 50 states in the U.S. and from 149 other countries across the globe. Georgia Tech has a truly international reach with campuses in Lorraine, France, and Shenzen, China.
The school annually sees over $1 billion in research funding across all six of the schools within it as well as the Georgia Tech Research Institute, making it one of the leading research universities in the United States.
U.S. News and World Report views Georgia Tech very favorably, ranking its overall undergraduate engineering program as the 4th best in the nation, and it ranks all undergraduate engineering programs among the ten best in the nation.
It also ranks the institution as the 8th most innovative university in the United States.
Further lauding the school, U.S News and World Report ranks Georgia Tech’s computer science program as the 5th best in the nation, and the school’s undergraduate business program at number 19.
For all of these reasons and more, students from across the United States and worldwide seek admission to one of the leading research universities in the country.
Georgia Tech Out-of-State Acceptance Rate
The out-of-state acceptance rate for students applying to Georgia Institute of Technology was 13% in 2022.
This rate is significantly lower than the admission rate for residents of Georgia applying to the school in the same year, which was 35%.
The school saw 50,601 students apply to Georgia Teach for admission in 2022, and the year’s overall acceptance rate for these applicants was 17%. 2022 has seen the university enroll the largest freshman class in its history.
According to Georgia Tech’s 2021 to 2022 common data set, 40% of the entering freshmen class hailed from a state other than Georgia. The total number of freshmen who ultimately enrolled at the university was 3,471, giving out-of-state freshmen enrolled population of 1,388 students.
Given the number of applications submitted to the Georgia Institute of Technology, the admission process is quite selective as many applicants have excellent academic records and test scores.
In light of this, the university makes use of a holistic review process that considers nine different factors.
The most important criteria that Georgia Tech’s admissions department considers when reviewing an application are broken down into two categories: academic and non-academic.
The most important academic criteria are the rigor of courses taken at the high school level, an applicant’s essay, and an applicant’s GPA, while the most critical non-academic criteria are extracurricular activities, personal character, volunteer efforts, and work experience.
Georgia Tech offers three application plans: Early Action 1, available only to Georgia residents; Early Action 2, open to non-residents; and Regular Decision.
Georgia Tech Out-of-State Tuition
The cost of tuition for the current 2022 to 2023 academic year for out-of-state students is $31,370, while the cost of in-state tuition for the same year is $10,258.
The total cost per year facing out-of-state students at Georgia Tech is $49,278, and the total cost for in-state students is $28,166.
Usnews.com reports that the national average cost of tuition at a public university for the current 2022 to 2023 school year is $22,953.
The cost per year of attending Georgia Tech is about $8,500 more expensive than the national average, but those considering applying to the school from outside of Georgia should take note that Georgia Tech is one of the leading schools in the nation for undergraduate programs in engineering, business, and computer science, among other fields.
Fortunately, for out-of-state students interested in applying to Georgia Tech, there are institutional scholarships available.
Among these are the Stamps President’s Scholars Program, available to the top 1% of first-year students, and the Provost Scholarship, which is awarded to 60 first-year, non-resident students and waives the out-of-state tuition for eight semesters.
Other institutional scholarships available to out-of-state students are the Gold Scholars Program and the Georgia Tech Alumni Network Scholarships.
While the cost for out-of-state students is higher than the overall national average, according to univstats.com, Georgia Tech’s cost of tuition is significantly lower than the average cost of out-of-state tuition for the top 10 engineering schools in the country.
The site reports that the average out-of-state cost of tuition for these schools is $46,971, and the only school on the site that is less expensive than Georgia Tech for non-residents is Purdue University.
Particularly for engineering students, the costs associated with attending Georgia Tech may be well worth it when students consider the school’s high national rankings and compare tuition at Georgia Tech to other similarly ranked institutions.
Georgia Tech Requirements and Tips for Out-of-State Students
Students interested in attending Georgia Tech will begin the application process by creating a Common App account to upload the school’s required documentation and materials.
Students will face deadlines to submit official transcripts, self-reported test scores, and the Common App material required depending on whether a student wishes to apply through the school’s Early Action or Regular Decision admission plan.
Out-of-state students who wish to apply for Early Action must meet the Early Action 2 deadlines of November 1 for submitting the application, November 15 for submitting documentation, and January 15 to self-report standardized test scores.
Students who choose to apply through the Regular Decision plan need to submit their applications by January 4, documentation by February 1, and self-reported test scores by February 1.
Like many other universities and colleges, Georgia Tech reviews applications holistically to get the best picture of how a student will perform at the school and fit into the rest of the campus community.
Since Georgia Tech receives more applications from high-performing students than the university has the capacity to admit, the school does not list a minimum GPA for entering freshmen; however, according to prepscholar.com, the average high school GPA of students accepted into the university is 4.07.
Each year, the admissions department at Georgia Tech seeks to craft a diverse and creative freshman class of students interested in studying a wide range of majors.
In order to make sure that their applications stand out among the many academically impressive applications, out-of-state applicants should emphasize their unique personal interests and contributions to their communities.
As Georgia Tech seeks to create a first-year class comprised of a diverse range of academic pursuits, applicants should make sure to consider their first and second-choice majors thoroughly, as the admissions department takes this into consideration when making its decisions.
The personal essay section of the application asks explicitly why an applicant wants to study a particular major at Georgia Tech, so students should deeply consider how they will demonstrate their interest in and passion for their chosen major.
Is Georgia Tech Right For You?
When considering whether or not one should study at Georgia Institute of Technology, potential applicants should take note of the school’s high national rankings in areas such as engineering, computer science, and business.
U.S. News and World Report ranks the school’s programs in these areas among the top 20 in the nation, with many ranking in the top 10 or better.
Although the out-of-state cost of tuition is higher than the national average, the cost of out-of-state tuition for specific programs at the school may be lower than the average cost of out-of-state tuition for schools with similarly ranked programs.
Exemplifying this, Georgia Tech’s undergraduate engineering program is ranked among the top 10 by U.S News and World Report, and its cost of out-of-state tuition is among the lowest of the top 10 engineering schools in the nation.
For those still concerned with the cost of tuition for non-resident students, the institutional scholarships available from the university will help to allay many of these concerns.
Certain scholarships available to out-of-state students will cover all school costs, while others will waive out-of-state tuition for recipients.
Students considering Georgia Tech should also take note of the return on the investment in the cost of their education.
According to the school’s alumni magazine, the average starting salary of the school’s graduates is $70,000, about $20,000 over the national average.
Although no one wants to graduate from college carrying student-loan debt, for those who do not see any way around the problem, knowing that they will likely make more money upon graduation than the national average may help to make a choice easier.
By bringing a record of strong academic performance and offering unique contributions to the school’s campus community, successful applicants to Georgia Tech will be able to enjoy the high level of education provided by this nationally recognized school.