True College Verdict
C

Golden Gate University

San Francisco, CA · 259 undergraduates · 27% receive Pell Grants
Private nonprofitMainly bachelor's degrees

About average. It ranks 831 of 1,755 four-year colleges on student outcomes, with an overall score of 50 out of 100.

Is it affordable?
Not enough data
Will most students finish?
About half
43% graduate within 8 years. Typical for similar colleges: 59%.
Is it worth the price?
Likely
Graduates owe a typical $28,217 against earnings of $90,346, a ratio of 0.31. Under 0.4 is comfortable; over 0.7 is heavy.

These three answers are rules of thumb from the numbers below, not advice for any one student or major.

What do students really think?

You have seen the federal numbers for Golden Gate University. Now hear from people who went there, or add your own experience. Anonymous, no account.

Would you choose it again? That is the first question the rating form asks.

Why it is good

  • Strong pay: typical earnings ten years after starting are $90,346, higher than 93% of four-year colleges.
  • Earnings beat expectations by about $21,823 a year for a college with its student mix (the estimate is rough, with a typical error of about $15,000).
  • Debt is manageable: graduates owe a typical $28,217 in federal loans against earnings of $90,346.

Why it is bad

  • Only 43% of students graduate. 80% of four-year colleges do better.
  • It falls short of expectations: it graduates 22 points fewer students than is typical for a college enrolling the same share of low-income students (43% against an expected 65%; the estimate is rough, with a typical error of about 16 points).

The numbers

What these figures measure

Graduation rate: share of all students, full-time or part-time, who finish within 8 years. Return for year 2: share of first-time, full-time students who come back for a second year. Earnings: median pay about 10 years after starting, for students who received federal aid. Debt: median federal loan debt among those who finish. Net price: average yearly cost after grants and scholarships. All from the U.S. Education Department College Scorecard, institution file dated November 2, 2026.

Graduation rate
43%
Better than 20% of similar colleges. Typical: 59%
Return for year 2
n/a
Typical: 77%
Earnings after 10 years
$90,346
Better than 93% of similar colleges. Typical: $58,912
Debt at graduation
$28,217
Better than 69% of similar colleges. Typical: $21,609
Net price per year
n/a
Typical: $19,899
Published tuition
n/a
Before any aid

Programs and early earnings

Bachelor's degrees: largest programs

Earnings are the median pay two years after completing, for graduates who were working and not enrolled again. The federal government hides figures for small programs, shown as n/a. Fields are broad groups, so a college may offer several majors inside one.

Students and reviews

Numbers cannot tell you about teaching, dorms or campus life. Read and write anonymous student reviews for Golden Gate University, or ask and answer questions about it. Other sources:

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The grade reflects outcomes for the average student compared with other four-year colleges. Individual majors can be much better or worse.