Quad

Head-to-head

Central State
Dalton State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Central State's grants cover 80% of its full price on average, vs. 35% at Dalton State

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    Dalton State has 11 pts more first-gen students than Central State (51% vs. 40%)

    First-generation students
  3. 3

    Central State costs about $6.9K less per year on average than Dalton State ($4,527 vs. $11,397, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  4. 4

    Dalton State has 1.7× as many undergrads as Central State

    Undergrads
  5. 5

    Dalton State grads earn $7K more ten years out than Central State's ($40,251 vs. $33,267)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  6. 6

    Dalton State graduates 7 pts more of its students than Central State (35% vs. 28%)

    Graduation rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Central State admits 99%; Dalton State doesn't report an acceptance rate.

Acceptance rate
Central State99%
Dalton StateNot reported
Quad's selectivity
  • Central StateOpen
  • Dalton StateNot rated
SAT middle 50%
Central StateTest-blind
Dalton StateNot reported
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Central StateGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • Dalton StateNot reported

Who's on each campus

Dalton State has 1.7× as many undergrads as Central State; Central State has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Central State2.6K
Dalton State4.6K
Pell Grant share
Central State53%
Dalton State50%

Majors and faculty

Business/Commerce leads at Central State, and Elementary Education and Teaching at Dalton State; Central State has 16 students per faculty member to Dalton State's 21.

Students per faculty member
Central State16 to 1
Dalton State21 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Central StateBusiness/Commerce, General34%
  • Dalton StateElementary Education and Teaching14%

What each costs

Central State costs about $6.9K less a year than Dalton State on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Central State$4.5K
Dalton State$11.4K
Aid generosity
Central State80%
Dalton State35%

What each pays off

Dalton State's former students earn more, a median $40.3K ten years after enrolling; six-year graduation runs from 35% at Dalton State to 28% at Central State.

Median earnings, 10 years
Central State$33.3K
Dalton State$40.3K
Graduation rate
Central State28%
Dalton State35%

How each has changed

Applications fell at Central State, which got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Central StateShrinking−53%
  • Dalton StateNot reported
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why