A public R1 flagship in Athens, GA, admitting 37.70% of applicants with a $13,936 average net price, one of the strongest value propositions of any selective public university.
Athens, Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public R1 research university in Athens, Georgia, founded in 1785 as the first state-chartered public university in the United States. It enrolls 32,137 undergraduates and 10,747 graduate students across seventeen schools and colleges, including the Terry College of Business, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Business and marketing, communications, biological sciences, and social sciences account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. The University of Georgia is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SAT or ACT scores are required for admission; the University of Georgia is one of the few flagship universities that still requires standardized testing. Georgia resident students may be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship and the Zell Miller Scholarship, which significantly reduce or eliminate the cost of in-state tuition.
Official website: uga.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), the University of Georgia scores 88.13 overall, rated Strong. Outcomes (95.03) reflects an 89.69% six-year graduation rate and 94.29% first-year retention, among the highest in this peer group. Value scores 90.72, reflecting excellent ten-year earnings of $68,726 relative to an average net price of only $13,936. Selectivity scores 90.42, reflecting a 37.70% admit rate that has tightened substantially over the past five years. All scores use verified federal data only.
The University of Georgia admits 37.70% of applicants, and the admit rate has been declining steadily as UGA has grown in national reputation. SAT or ACT scores are required; the University of Georgia requires standardized testing for admission, unlike the majority of comparable flagships.
The application deadline for first-year students is January 1; priority notification comes in December for those who apply by October 15. Georgia's HOPE Scholarship and Zell Miller Scholarship create strong incentives for high-achieving Georgia residents to choose UGA over out-of-state alternatives. The Terry College of Business and the Grady College of Journalism are the most popular and competitive programs within the university.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Georgia is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
The University of Georgia charges $11,450 in in-state tuition and $31,688 in out-of-state tuition, plus $11,672 in room and board, bringing the estimated in-state total cost of attendance to approximately $27,993 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $13,936, among the lowest of any selective flagship university in the country. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $8,085. For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $8,686. For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $16,942.
Georgia residents who maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA are eligible for the HOPE Scholarship, which pays a significant portion of in-state tuition. The Zell Miller Scholarship covers full in-state tuition for Georgia residents who graduate high school with a 3.7 GPA and 1200 or higher SAT (26 ACT). The federal loan rate of 19.54% and median debt of $18,500 are among the lowest in this peer group, reflecting the impact of state scholarship support.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $70 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
The University of Georgia graduates an exceptionally high share of students. The six-year graduation rate is 89.69% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students, among the highest in this peer group. The four-year graduation rate is 71.39%, and first-year retention stands at 94.29%. The federal loan rate of 19.54% and median debt of $18,500 are low for a university of this size and selectivity, reflecting the benefit of state scholarship support for Georgia residents.
University of Georgia graduates earn above the national median for public flagships. Median earnings are $57,565 six years after first enrolling and $68,726 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 86.20% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate.
The earnings reflect UGA's program mix concentrated in business (28% of graduates), communications, and biological sciences, with graduates placing primarily in the Atlanta metro economy, Georgia's healthcare sector, and the Southeast's financial and legal industries. The Terry College of Business feeds directly into Atlanta's corporate headquarters (Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Delta Air Lines, UPS), financial services firms, and consulting companies. UGA's Grady College graduates are recruited by major media, public relations, and advertising organizations nationally.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
The University of Georgia enrolls 32,137 undergraduates on its main campus in Athens, Georgia, a college city of approximately 130,000 approximately 70 miles northeast of Atlanta. White students account for 65.71% of undergraduates; Asian 13.42%, Hispanic 7.96%, and Black 5.95%. Approximately 16.75% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 18.15% are first-generation college students.
Athens has a vibrant music and arts culture; the city has produced R.E.M., the B-52s, and many other national acts, and maintains a distinctive college town identity. The Atlanta metro area, approximately 70 miles west, is accessible for internships, recruiting, and weekend activities. UGA athletics compete in the Southeastern Conference; Georgia Bulldogs football is among the most successful programs in college football history, with multiple national championships.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Georgia. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of Georgia offers an extensive catalog of programs: 283 distinct programs across 27 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The University of Georgia operates at a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. 90.25% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty, above the peer group average. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $11,512 per year, below the peer group average for a flagship, reflecting the lower state appropriations relative to larger universities.
The endowment stands at approximately $1.81 billion, modest relative to UGA's enrollment and flagship status. The university's research enterprise includes the UGA Research Foundation and multiple federally sponsored research centers. The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is among the strongest in the SEC and produces significant applied research for Georgia's agricultural sector.
2,265 instructional faculty across 6 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 735 | 32% | $145,450 |
| Associate Professors | 516 | 23% | $113,081 |
| Assistant Professors | 426 | 19% | $102,546 |
| Instructors | 64 | 3% | $62,867 |
| Lecturers | 349 | 15% | $84,825 |
| No Rank | 175 | 8% | $94,501 |
The University of Georgia's defining strengths are its UCD 88.13 Strong score, outstanding value (net price $13,936 average, $8,085 for lowest income families), the HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships for Georgia residents, an 89.69% graduation rate among the highest in public higher education, and an Athens campus with a distinctive cultural identity. UCD 88.13 Strong.
The considerations: SAT or ACT scores are required (unlike most peer flagships, which are test-optional); in-state tuition benefits are limited to Georgia residents; the instructional spending per student is below the peer average; and the ten-year earnings of $68,726, while solid, reflect the business and communications program concentration rather than engineering-driven premiums. Best fit for Georgia residents who want a selective flagship experience at excellent value, particularly those pursuing business at Terry College or communications at Grady College, and who can maintain the GPA required to keep HOPE/Zell Miller scholarship support.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about UGA: how the HOPE scholarship works, how selective admissions are, what the Athens experience is like, and how Terry College compares to other business schools.
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