Golden Gate University

Should You Attend Golden Gate University?

Founded in 1901, Golden Gate University (GGU) provides certificate, bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctoral degree programs. In addition to its main San Francisco campus, GGU operates teaching sites in Santa Clara, Los Angeles and Seattle. The school also oversees a number of fully online programs through its CyberCampus division. Keep reading to find out if this is the school you're looking for.

Pros

• Undergraduate total cost (including tuition and living expenses) is $5,628 lower than the national average for 4-year, private non-profit schools
• Has a lower student-teacher ratio than the national average
• Accepts dual and Advanced Placement (AP) credits
• Has a diverse student population

Cons

• Limited number of undergraduate programs available

Golden Gate University at a Glance

Golden Gate University offers undergraduate and graduate programs in a variety of professional disciplines, such as business and management, information technology, taxation and law. However, there are fewer than 20 undergraduate degree programs, so if you decide to change majors, options are limited.

Golden Gate University runs one of the nation's largest tax schools, enrolling more students than any other university over the course of the last 45 years. GGU is a university designed for current professionals who wish to earn higher education in order to advance their careers, which means that GGU is not a school you would enter as a freshman, but rather one you transfer to from another institution or attend part time while employed in your chosen field.

According to The College Board, GGU's student population is ethnically diverse, with no single identified racial group consisting of more than 33% of the student population. The College Board also stated that the student-teacher ratio was 13:1, which was lower than the national average of 16:1.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the school's total cost for undergraduates in 2012-2013 was $33,890, which was over $5,000 less than the national average of $39,518 for 4-year, private non-profit universities.

Getting In & Financial Aid at Golden Gate University

The application form for Golden Gate University is available online. If you want to transfer to this university, admission to one of GGU's undergraduate programs requires a minimum GPA of 2.0, with 24 or more transferable credits earned from a community college or university. If you have less than 24 transferable credits, you must submit a high school transcript with a GPA of at least 3.0, along with a resume and personal statement.

Many financial aid options are available. Financial assistance can be awarded through state grants, federal financial aid, university scholarships, employer tuition assistance and private loans. As an undergraduate at GGU, you may be eligible for a scholarship based on your entering GPA and the number of credits you're taking.

Life at Golden Gate University

Campus life at GGU is limited, since students don't live on campus, and there are no athletic or ROTC programs available. The school contains a student government body and eight extracurricular clubs, including a marketing association, a finance club and a ping-pong club. There are two libraries: the main university library and a law library.

The university's Career Services division can give you access to job and internship listings online, as well as career workshops and events. Upon entering GGU as an undergraduate student, you may take a specially designed Gateway to Success course that provides career assessments. Alumni also have the opportunity to attend a number of networking events held throughout the year.

Sources: *Golden Gate University, **NCES College Navigator, ***The College Board

School Contact Info

• Address: Golden Gate University, 536 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105-2968
• Phone: (415) 442-7800