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University or college · Private nonprofit

Brenau University

Gainesville, GA976 online only

Brenau University is a private nonprofit university in Gainesville, GA, with about 1,444 students on campus.

Visit www.brenau.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
1,444
plus 976 studying only online
Admission rate
88%
higher than at 71% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$18,924
lower than at 55% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
33%
lower than at 86% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$54,003
higher than at 77% of U.S. colleges
In brief

The short version on Brenau University

Little price break for lower-income families

Families earning under $30,000 pay about $19,481 a year after grants, only $945 less than the $20,426 paid by families over $110,000. What it costs ↓

Nearly all students are women

91% of Brenau University’s undergraduates are women. The students ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Brenau University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, nursing graduates earn a median $88,731 four years out. Drama/theatre arts and stagecraft graduates earn $36,910. Majors ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $46,010 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $34,027Room & board $12,850Books & supplies $1,250

After grants, the average family on aid pays $18,924.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$18,420

About $73,680 over 4 years · 60% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Brenau University?

88%

of applicants admitted

About 18 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
500–620
SAT math
430–580
ACT
18–22

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1079.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
33%
within 6 years · Pell students 24%
Come back for year two
65%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$54,003
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$27,000
about $286 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

8.2%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$286 a month against about $3,472 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

45%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 51% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$48k
Middle income$30–75k
$61k
Higher incomeover $75k
$62k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Education 23%Health professions 21%Liberal arts 13%Visual & performing arts 12%Business 12%Psychology 7%Everything else 11%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing70 graduates a year · typical debt $28,357
$89k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods33 graduates a year · typical debt $33,035
$46k4 yrs out
Psychology, General22 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$43k4 yrs out
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft16 graduates a year · typical debt $18,824
$37k4 yrs out
Health and Medical Administrative Services15 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$39k4 yrs out
Design and Applied Arts12 graduates a year
—not reported
Dance11 graduates a year
—not reported
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities10 graduates a year
—not reported
Who goes there

The students

1,029 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 42%Hispanic 21%Black 24%Asian 2%Two or more 4%International 6%

Women and men

Women 91%Men 9%
11 : 1
students per teacher
46%
get Pell grants (lower income)
70%
take federal loans
29%
undergrads 25 or older
15%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Gainesville

7% of Gainesville’s 49,221 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Gainesville pages.

Gainesville →
GainesvilleGainesville, GA
$1,299/momedian rent · 7% below the state$369Ktypical home valueC−Safety Grade33° / 88°January low / July high · 2" of snowCHealth GradeAll colleges in and near GainesvilleCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Brenau University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Lanier Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Gainesville
3.1 mi4,236 students
University of North GeorgiaUniversity or college · Public · Dahlonega
18.3 mi14,894 students
Truett McConnell UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Cleveland
20.7 mi1,478 students
Piedmont UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Demorest
24.2 mi1,307 students
Georgia Gwinnett CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Lawrenceville
24.7 mi10,229 students
Reformed UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lawrenceville
27.2 mi331 students
Gwinnett Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lawrenceville
27.4 mi6,388 students
North Georgia Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Clarkesville
28.6 mi1,979 students

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.