GSU vs. Defiance College

Should I go to Governors State University or Defiance College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if GSU or Defiance College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Governors State University vs. Defiance College comparison
Governors State University Defiance College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 GSU Defiance College
Location University Park, IL Defiance, OH
Setting Rural Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 4,427 540
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - United Church of Christ - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website govst.edu defiance.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 GSU Defiance College
Tuition (In State) $7,512 $34,556
Tuition (Out of State) $15,024 $34,556
Room & Board $11,000 $10,940
Avg Net Price $9,833 $23,196
Avg Grant Aid $11,987 $24,970
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 99%

Admission

 GSU Defiance College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,865 2,722
Admitted 1,072 1,711
Acceptance Rate 57.5% 62.9%
Enrolled % 29.5% 8.7%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.12
Typical High School Grades A/A+ B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 17/23
SAT Range 830/1060 860/1110
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2025

Academics

 GSU Defiance College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)

Outcomes

 GSU Defiance College
Graduation Rate - 51%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,600 $43,700
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,250 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $178 $279

Diversity

 GSU Defiance College
% Men 36% 60%
% Women 64% 40%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 36% 80%
% Black 38% 8%
% Hispanic 11% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 9% 0%

Students

 GSU Defiance College
% In-State 95% 66%
% Out-of-State 3% 31%

Campus

 GSU Defiance College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Governors State University is larger than than Defiance College based on total student enrollment (4,427 students vs. 540 students)

GSU vs. Defiance College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, GSU or Defiance College?

  • Defiance College is 360% more expensive to attend than GSU for in-state tuition ($34,556.00 vs. $7,512.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 130% higher at Defiance College than Governors State University ($34,556.00 vs. $15,024.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Governors State University than Defiance College ($9,833 vs. $23,196)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Defiance College are 0.5% lower than costs at Governors State University ($10,940 vs. $11,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Governors State University than Defiance College (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Defiance College students is 108.3% larger than aid received Governors State University ($24,970 vs. $11,987)

GSU vs. Defiance College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, GSU or Defiance College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Defiance College or GSU .

  • The average SAT score at Defiance College (984) is 73 points higher than at GSU (911)
  • Incoming Defiance College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at GSU (19)
  • Accepted freshman GSU students have a 0.88 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Defiance College (3.12)
  • Defiance College has a higher acceptance rate (62.9%) than GSU (57.5%)

GSU vs. Defiance College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, GSU or Defiance College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Defiance College and GSU.

  • Graduates from Defiance College earn on average $1,100 more per year than GSU graduates after ten years. ($43,700 vs. $42,600)
  • Governors State University students graduate with a $9,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Defiance College graduates. ($17,250 vs. $27,000)
  • GSU graduates are paying $101 less per month on federal student loans than Defiance College graduates. ($178 vs. $279)
  • More Defiance College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former GSU students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 48%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/