The University of Georgia
The first state-chartered US public university, now a selective flagship that rewards rigorous core grades.
- Acceptance rate
- 34%
- Fall 2025 entering class (Common Data Set 2025-26); applying now for fall 2027
- Students
- 43,887
- 32,824 undergraduates
- International
- 1%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 17:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $33,298
- 2026-27
About UGA
The University of Georgia was chartered on January 27, 1785, making it the first state-chartered public university in the United States, and it is the flagship of the University System of Georgia. It is a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research university with 43,887 students in fall 2025: 32,824 undergraduates and 11,063 graduate and professional students on a main campus of about 762 acres in Athens, plus campuses in Griffin and Tifton and study centers in Washington, D.C., Oxford and Cortona.
Academic life is organised into around 20 schools and colleges, from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Terry College of Business and Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication to the College of Engineering, School of Public and International Affairs and a new School of Medicine. The Morehead Honors College, the Foundation Fellowship and the Double Dawgs bachelor's-plus-master's pathways give strong students extra depth, and admits' most popular intended majors include political science, finance, biology, computer science and mechanical engineering.
Admission is competitive and academic: UGA admitted 16,257 of 47,464 first-year applicants for fall 2025, recalculates every applicant's core GPA, and requires the SAT or ACT. About 80% of first-years are Georgians, many on HOPE or Zell Miller scholarships. UGA suits high-achieving students who want a big SEC campus and a historic college town at a public price.
Et docere et rerum exquirere causas
“To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things” — university motto
Why students choose UGA
In-state value: Georgia residents pay $11,628 in tuition and fees for 2026-27, and the state's HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships significantly reduce that for most in-state students.
The Jere W. Morehead Honors College, ranked No. 1 among honors programs by College Transitions, automatically reviews every Early Action applicant for direct admission.
Double Dawgs pathways let students earn a bachelor's and a master's degree in five years or less.
UGA's Career Center reports that 95% of graduates are employed or continuing their education within six months of graduating.
Admissions
Fall 2025 entering class (Common Data Set 2025-26); applying now for fall 2027
About 1 in 3 applicants is admitted
16,257 admitted from 47,464 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
For fall 2025, 16,257 of 47,464 first-year applicants were admitted (in-state 8,893 of 21,110; out-of-state 7,044 of 25,261; international 319 of 1,092) and 6,195 enrolled. For the admitted Class of 2030 (fall 2026), UGA reports more than 51,600 applicants and more than 15,400 admits, with 93% of admits' core grades being A's.
Typical entry requirements
| Required High School Curriculum (USG) | 17 academic units: English 4, Mathematics 4, Science 4, Social Science 3, Foreign Language 2 |
|---|---|
| Minimum test scores (USG Board of Regents) | SAT 480 EBRW and 440 Math, or ACT 17 English or Reading and 17 Math; admitted students score far higher |
| International applicants | Final English-translated transcripts from each school (UGA recalculates the GPA; do not self-report grades), plus SAT or ACT |
| English language | UGA publishes no fixed minimum: most international applicants show English proficiency through the required SAT or ACT, and IELTS or TOEFL scores may also be submitted. Average scores of admitted international students (2019-2023): SAT EBRW 650, ACT English 30, IELTS 7.5, TOEFL 102 (5.0 on the new scale). |
Deadlines
- Early Action Non-binding Next deadline · In 9 daysOctober 15, 2026
Materials deadline October 29. Decisions mid-late November for Georgia residents and mid-December for out-of-state applicants; some are deferred to a final decision in mid-March. EA applicants are automatically reviewed for the Honors College.
- Foundation Fellowship application Non-binding In 26 daysNovember 1, 2026
UGA's flagship honors scholarship; only for Early Action applicants.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 1, 2027
Materials deadline January 15; decisions mid-March. Honors College supplemental application due January 15. Commitment deposit due May 1.
UGA's deadlines page lists these as the recurring first-year dates (application opens August 1); UGA's admissions director confirmed in September 2026 that the 2027 Early Action deadline is October 15 with materials due October 29. UGA has no Early Decision.
How to apply
Common App with one intended major (or undecided); no UGA supplemental essay from the 2027 cycle; official SAT or ACT; transcript (Georgia students send an official GAfutures transcript instead of self-reporting grades); secondary school report from the counselor; one teacher recommendation optional but encouraged. Fee $70 for US citizens, $85 for international applicants.
What admissions looks for
- Grades in core academic courses come first: in recent years admitted students earned A's in over 90% of their core courses, and any C, D or F is a concern.
- Rigor: competitive applicants take the most or nearly the most demanding courses available at their school, and courses beyond the required curriculum are heavily considered.
- SAT or ACT scores, which support but cannot compensate for a non-competitive GPA.
- Secondary factors: intellectual pursuits, creative endeavors, service, co-curricular activities, leadership and family commitments, and integrity and maturity. Demonstrated interest, race, ethnicity and legacy status are not considered.
Tips for applying to UGA
- 1 Apply Early Action by October 15 if your record is ready: EA is reviewed the same way as RD, but it gets you automatic Honors College review and access to the Foundation Fellowship.
- 2 Work out your UGA GPA: only core courses count, AP and IB get an extra letter grade of weight, and honors and dual-enrollment courses do not.
- 3 Send official test scores early; UGA superscores and uses only your best subscores, so there is no downside to sending all of them.
- 4 Out-of-state applicants should check they have a fourth science; UGA accepts high-school-level 8th grade science, 3.5 science credits rounded up, or psychology.
- 5 Don't spend effort on demonstrated interest: UGA explicitly ignores visits, emails and other contact when deciding.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for The University of Georgia
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Georgia residents can use the state's merit-based HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships, which UGA says significantly reduce tuition for most in-state students. All admitted first-years are automatically considered for UGA merit scholarships (finalised by early April), and the Foundation Fellowship is the flagship award for Early Action applicants. In 2024-25 UGA met 77.9% of need on average for first-year aid recipients.
- $29,920 Georgia residents; $52,156 non-residents
- Cost of attendance 2026-27, on campus
- 77.9%
- Average need met, first-year aid recipients (2024-25)
- $17,230
- Average first-year financial aid package (2024-25)
- $68,726
- Median earnings 10 years after entry (College Scorecard)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Terry College of Business (finance, management, marketing)
Intended finance, management and marketing majors are among the most common choices for UGA admits.
Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
UGA's journalism school produced Peabody and Emmy winner Charlayne Hunter-Gault and ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts.
Political Science and the School of Public and International Affairs
Political science is one of the top intended majors for admits; UGA also led the nation with 18 Boren Scholars in 2026.
Computer Science
One of the most popular intended majors, housed in UGA's School of Computing.
Jere W. Morehead Honors College
Ranked No. 1 among US honors programs by College Transitions; admitted students' middle 50% SAT is 1510-1550.
Veterinary Medicine and agricultural sciences
Land-grant strengths spanning the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Research
- Classified R1 (very high research activity), with land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant status.
- UGA provides high-performance computing to its researchers through the Sapelo2 cluster at the Boyd Data Center.
- A new UGA School of Medicine enrolled its first class in fall 2026, and a school of nursing is authorized to begin classes in 2027.
- Hosts the Georgia Museum of Art and the 313-acre State Botanical Garden of Georgia, a living laboratory for research and teaching.
Schools & faculties
- Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- Terry College of Business
- Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
- College of Engineering
- School of Computing
- College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
- School of Public and International Affairs
- College of Environment and Design
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
- College of Veterinary Medicine
- College of Pharmacy
- School of Law
UGA reports 95% of graduates employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation; College Scorecard median earnings 10 years after entry are $68,726.
Student life
UGA's historic North Campus, entered through the 1858 Arch and anchored by Old College (1806), sits next to downtown Athens. All first-year students are required to live on campus, and living-learning communities are available. Athletics are a large part of campus identity: the Georgia Bulldogs compete in the Southeastern Conference and play football at Sanford Stadium. The whole campus is designated an arboretum, and the State Botanical Garden of Georgia is three miles south.
- Georgia Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
- The Arch, built in 1858, is the traditional entrance to North Campus.
- The Georgia Museum of Art and the Performing Arts Center are on East Campus.
- Study abroad residential centers at Trinity College, Oxford, and in Cortona, Italy.
Housing. All first-year students must live on campus; on-campus housing and food are budgeted at $12,440 for 2026-27.
Location
Athens is a college town in northeast Georgia, and UGA's North Campus borders its downtown. The main campus covers about 762 acres of historic and modern buildings, and the university also has campuses in Griffin and Tifton and a satellite in Atlanta. UGA's 2026-27 budget for students living off campus includes $6,430 for housing, reflecting relatively modest local rents.
Nearest airport: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Notable alumni
- CH Charlayne Hunter-GaultJournalist for NPR, CNN and PBS; with Hamilton Holmes, one of the first two Black students to attend UGA
- MF Mary Frances EarlyEducator; first African American to earn a degree from UGA (master's in music education, 1962)
- ZM Zell MillerGovernor of Georgia and US Senator; bachelor's and master's in history, and namesake of the Zell Miller Scholarship
- DR Deborah RobertsABC News correspondent; Grady College journalism graduate
- SP Sonny PerdueUS Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Georgia; Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from UGA
- HW Herschel Walker1982 Heisman Trophy winner at UGA and later US ambassador
- AB Alton BrownFood television presenter; studied film at UGA
Frequently asked questions
Is UGA test-optional for 2027?
No. University System of Georgia policy requires official SAT or ACT scores from every first-year applicant, and UGA superscores both tests.
What is UGA's acceptance rate?
UGA admitted 16,257 of 47,464 first-year applicants for fall 2025, about 34%. The fall 2026 cycle drew more than 51,600 applicants for more than 15,400 admits.
What GPA and SAT do you need for UGA?
UGA recalculates your core GPA. Enrolled fall 2025 first-years had a middle-50% SAT of 1250-1420 and ACT of 27-33 (Common Data Set); the admitted Class of 2030's middle 50% was a 4.13-4.40 core GPA, 1360-1500 SAT and 31-34 ACT, with 93% of admits' core grades A's.
When is the UGA Early Action deadline?
October 15, 2026, with supporting materials due October 29. Regular Decision closes January 1, 2027. Early Action is non-binding and UGA has no Early Decision.
Does UGA require an essay or recommendation?
UGA dropped its supplemental essay for the 2027 cycle. A teacher recommendation is optional but encouraged, and your counselor must submit a secondary school report.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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