Sometimes, one only truly knows if they’ve made the right choice of college once they’ve spent some time on their new campus. This reality, in part, explains why only about 61% of students, on average, return for a second year at their freshman-year college.
But at the University of Georgia, that number is much higher. 96% of freshmen return for a second year at the University of Georgia, and that fact is no surprise.
For one thing, the Georgia Bulldogs have one of the most accomplished college sports programs in the country. Furthermore, World Scholarship Forum ranked the University of Georgia’s alumni network as the best in the nation.
But beyond its wonderful reputation, Georgia has a robust tradition of providing first-class education to its students.
In response to growing evidence regarding hands-on learning’s efficacy, the University of Georgia has become the largest university in the world to guarantee all of its students participate in a hands-on learning experience.
It can be difficult to encounter such hands-on learning experiences outside of a university setting, whether it be research, study abroad, or service-learning.
Thus, this increases Georgia’s appeal for those students who want to make the most of this unique aspect of college.
And if that wasn’t enough to prove that hopeful Georgia students will find a home in Athens, the data also affirms that Georgia has one of the happiest student bodies in the US. Niche ranked Georgia as the third best university in the country for quality of student life.
Since 1785, the University of Georgia has grown to include over 800 student organizations, 38,000 students, and 129 undergraduate degrees. This makes Athens—that quaint college town on the bank of the Oconee River—an ideal college destination for a wide array of students.
University of Georgia Acceptance Rate
The University of Georgia tends to have an acceptance rate of around 48%. However, for the 2025 class, that number dropped to approximately 39% due to an abnormally high volume of applicants.
As such, university officials anticipate that the acceptance rates going forward will hover closer to 48% as opposed to the 39% from 2021-2022 application data, which represents an outlier from the norm.
The deadline to submit an application to the University of Georgia is January 1st.
The University of Georgia also has an early action deadline of October 15th for submitting applications, but submitting an application prior to the early action deadline does not impact one’s likelihood of acceptance, according to university officials.
The early action deadline, on the contrary, serves as a means by which students can hear a decision from Georgia earlier and thus have more time to consider the campus.
Early action applicants will hear back from the University of Georgia by early December, and regular decision applicants will hear back in mid-March. Neither of these application options increases or decreases one’s likelihood of admission.
Around 14% of all University of Georgia students receive a scholarship, and the general undergraduate scholarship application deadline is March 1st. The FAFSA deadline is June 30th.
University of Georgia Out-of-State Acceptance Rate
The out-of-state acceptance rate at the University of Georgia is around 40%.
Although admissions statistics will fluctuate from year to year given the number of applicants, it is a generally safe rule of thumb that the out-of-state acceptance rate will sit at a handful of points below the general acceptance rate.
Even though the University of Georgia prefers in-state applicants, out-of-state students compose about 15% of each incoming class.
Unlike many institutions, the University of Georgia has no stated policy regarding the ratio of in-state versus out-of-state applications, but administrators intend to keep the ratio where it stands: 85% in-state and 15% out-of-state.
Georgia administrators have successfully achieved this ratio in the recent past despite national trends shifting towards universities having more out-of-state students.
Whereas there has been a roughly 30% increase in the number of out-of-state students at the University of Georgia over the past 20 years, the average increase in out-of-state students at public universities sits around 65%.
GPA for University of Georgia
Although the University of Georgia has no stated minimum GPA for admissions, the average GPA of an admitted student is 4.0.
Because of the variety of high school grading systems used nationally, the University of Georgia recalculates one’s GPA by only considering the grades students earned in the five core academic areas, and AP art and music theory courses.
The core subject areas that count towards one’s University of Georgia GPA are English, mathematics, science, social studies, and foreign languages.
However, the UGA also recalculates students’ GPAs by weighting the grades of AP/IB courses by one letter grade, even if the high school a student attended did not provide this weighting.
UGA will provide no additional weight if one’s high school did weight all AP/IB courses.
The University of Georgia is very forthright because one’s high school GPA is the most crucial factor in one’s admissions decision.
SAT & ACT Requirements for University of Georgia
The only SAT and ACT requirements UGA puts into place are those mandated by the Georgia Board of regents: SAT-EBRW of 480 and SAT-Math of 440 or a 17 on both the English and math sections of the ACT.
For the SAT and ACT, the University of Georgia “superscores” one’s final score if they have taken the test multiple times.
This means that UGA looks at all the attempts of a standardized test a student has taken and then only counts the highest scores among those three attempts for every given section.
For example, if a student took the ACT three times, only the highest English score among these three attempts would be counted in the final score.
The same would be the case with the highest math score among these three attempts, the highest science score, and so on.
The middle 50% of SAT scores ranged from 1350-1490 for UGA freshmen. The middle 50% of ACT scores ranged from 31-34.
Other Requirements and Admission Tips
Beyond GPA and standardized tests, UGA also has a number of required coursework students must complete prior to applying.
However, although a certain GPA, ACT/SAT score, and required coursework are the minimum for admission, UGA does offer students an array of additional pathways whereby they can potentially stand out from other applications.
For starters, the UGA application offers the chance to submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher, but a letter of recommendation is not strictly necessary.
As such, a teacher who can speak to an applicant’s strengths on such a recommendation can help a student stand out from applicants who may not submit a letter of recommendation.
Secondly, it is essential to remember that the 17 required courses for admission represent the bare minimum a student must complete to be considered. UGA puts a heavy emphasis on analyzing the coursework a student has completed throughout their time in high school.
As such, to be a competitive candidate, an array of advanced coursework having been completed in high school can greatly aid a student in standing out.
When considering how to be admitted into UGA, remember that, according to UGA admissions, GPA comes first, then the rigor of one’s high school coursework, then standardized test scores.
Essays for University of Georgia
The University of Georgia requires two essays for their application.
The first is the standard personal statement found among all institutions which use the Common Application system, as the UGA does. This essay is 250-650 words, and is written in response to one of a handful of essay prompts.
An example of a Common Application personal statement prompt that the UGA provides on their website is: “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”
One can find the most up-to-date Common Application prompts on the Common Application website.
Alongside this standard personal statement, the University of Georgia asks for a shorter, 200-300 word essay. This essay seeks to alleviate some of the stress of the college application story, and asks students to describe an amusing, humorous, or interesting story from their time in high school.
As such, UGA provides additional space on the application for students to go beyond standardized test scores and GPAs by infusing some of their personality into their application.
Is University of Georgia Right for You?
Even though this question will vary widely from applicant to applicant, the University of Georgia does have an outstanding reputation for making its students feel welcomed like no other.
As the third best university in the nation for student life, so many students will begin to see UGA’s 230-year-old campus as home as soon as they arrive.
UGA is a public Ivy, it has acclaimed athletics, and possesses one of the best public university alumni networks in the nation. But when students talk about UGA, they often mention just how happy they are living in Athens.
For example, UGA has the largest group of guide dog trainers in the country, and its campus is famous for how many dogs can be spotted around the college.
Another story is that of Mrs. Sandra, a much-beloved dining hall employee who was honored for her efforts regarding making students feel welcomed at UGA with a crowd-funded, $25,000 meal plan scholarship in her name.
And UGA’s unique double-degree program, whereby students can achieve both a bachelor’s and a master’s in just 5 years, is lovingly entitled the “Double Dawgs” program.
The fact that Georgia asks for an essay whereby students can share an amusing or interesting story, in itself, speaks to how UGA tries to connect with their students on a human level.
As such, the UGA will be a fantastic choice for dozens of students: whether the appeal of UGA is its public Ivy status, its welcoming community, or, more likely, all of the above.