Emory University vs Georgia College & State University

Metric	Emory University	Georgia College & State University
Undergraduate enrollment	7,298	5,947
Acceptance rate Lower means more selective	10.7%	78.2%
Average SAT	1,520	1,163
Median ACT	33	24
In-state tuition	$64,280	$9,186
Out-of-state tuition	$64,280	$29,512
Average net price What students actually pay after aid	$22,585	$20,686
Median debt at graduation	$18,250	$22,250
Graduation rate	91.1%	63.6%
First-year retention	95.7%	82.3%
Median salary (10 yr)	$80,137	$58,140

Metric

Emory University

Georgia College & State University

Undergraduate enrollment

7,298

5,947

Acceptance rate
Lower means more selective

10.7%

78.2%

Average SAT

1,520

1,163

Median ACT

In-state tuition

$64,280

$9,186

Out-of-state tuition

$64,280

$29,512

Average net price
What students actually pay after aid

$22,585

$20,686

Median debt at graduation

$18,250

$22,250

Graduation rate

91.1%

63.6%

First-year retention

95.7%

82.3%

Median salary (10 yr)

$80,137

$58,140

What the numbers say

Emory University is the harder admit at 10.7%, against 78.2% at Georgia College & State University.
Georgia College & State University costs less after aid — $20,686 a year versus $22,585, a difference of $1,899 annually, or roughly $7,596 across four years.
Emory University graduates report higher median earnings — $80,137 against $58,140 ten years after entry.
Emory University graduates a larger share of its students — 91.1% versus 63.6%.
On pure return — salary divided by net price — Emory University comes out ahead at 3.5× versus 2.8×.

Comparison tables are a starting point, not a decision. Three things matter more than anything in the table above:

Your real aid offer. Net price is an average across all income levels. Two students at the same school can pay amounts that differ by tens of thousands. Wait for actual award letters before ruling anything out on cost.
Your intended major. Earnings vary more between majors at one school than between schools for one major. A computer science graduate from the "lower earning" school here will likely out-earn a general studies graduate from the other.
Whether you will finish. Graduation rate is the metric most predictive of whether the money spent turns into a credential. Campus fit, support services, and commute all feed into it more than prestige does.

Visit before you commit

Both Emory University and Georgia College & State University run campus visits. Spending an afternoon on each will tell you things no dataset can.