Public university 30 miles south of Chicago offering four-year degrees and graduate programs on a 750-acre wooded campus.
Governors State University operates four colleges offering 22 bachelor's, 27 graduate, and 4 doctoral degree programs, plus 22 certificate programs. The university is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission; business programs hold AACSB accreditation and the public administration program is accredited by NASPAA. All programs have earned appropriate professional accreditation. Popular majors include Accounting, Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Biology, Criminal Justice, Computer Science, Information Technology, Elementary Education, Psychology, Health Administration, and Social Work. Eighty-five percent of faculty hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their discipline, and most classes have fewer than 30 students.
The 750-acre wooded campus features several lakes and natural trails, located 30 miles south of Chicago and within 30 minutes of Kankakee, Joliet, and northwestern Indiana. The university opened its first on-campus residence hall, Prairie Place, and maintains the Family Development Center with NAEYC accreditation. The Center for Performing Arts hosts world-class entertainers, and the campus features the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park and Visual Arts Gallery. GSU competes in 14 NAIA varsity sports through the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) since 2016–17. The student body is 51% minority with an average age of 32.4 years; 70% are women.
Governors State accepts freshman, transfer, graduate, international, and non-degree students. The university offers a Dual Degree Program in partnership with local community colleges for seamless pathways to bachelor's degrees. Admissions counselors provide virtual and on-campus pre-admission appointments. Campus tours led by Student Ambassadors are approximately 75 minutes and available for individuals and groups. Open House events and Preview Days provide comprehensive overviews of academic programs and student services.
GSU received the 2015 American Council on Education/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation and the 2010 Governor's Sustainability Award. The Dual Degree Program earned the 2014 Student Success and College Completion Award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. In 2012, U.S. News ranked three programs: Occupational Therapy (100th), Physical Therapy (154th), and Speech-Language Pathology (181st). The university has over 57,000 graduates living in the United States and beyond.