The University of Georgia climbed two spots to No. 18 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 ranking of the best public universities in the nation. This marks the ninth consecutive year that UGA has placed in the top 20. UGA shares the No. 18 rank with Purdue University and the University of Washington.
“The University of Georgia has consistently strengthened its standing among the best public universities in the nation, and I am pleased to see this recognized for nine years in a row by U.S. News & World Report,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Our growing reputation as a national leader in higher education speaks to the remarkable dedication of our faculty, staff and students, as well as the unwavering support of our alumni and friends. I look forward to building on our momentum as we launch the UGA School of Medicine, advance ambitious faculty hiring initiatives, and further enrich the educational experience of our students.”
UGA and Georgia Tech are the only two schools from the state of Georgia to make the top 20. Georgia and California are the only two states to have more than one institution in the top 20. In addition, UGA joins elite company with this year’s ranking, as 19 of the institutions in the top 20 are members of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).
Several individual programs at the university earned high marks from the latest rankings. The Terry College of Business ranked No. 23 for undergraduate business programs. The college’s insurance program ranked No. 1 in the nation, the real estate program ranked No. 3, the management and information systems program was No. 12, and the accounting program ranked No. 15.
UGA also was ranked the No. 33 most innovative school in the nation, earning praise for groundbreaking improvements to curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology and facilities. Among the factors that influence this ranking are UGA’s 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio, its robust offering of more than 800 student organizations, more than 130 study abroad programs, more than 40 domestic field study programs, and more than 200 undergraduate majors and certificates.
“I couldn’t be more excited about the direction of the University of Georgia. Our robust Experiential Learning program now offers close to 2,700 transcript-eligible, hands-on learning opportunities. We’ve invested in classroom enhancements and faculty training to strengthen our Active Learning initiative, a student-centered approach that emphasizes the construction of knowledge and reflection on the learning process. And we’re expanding undergraduate research opportunities with a new team-based, multi-disciplinary collaborative program,” said Marisa Anne Pagnattaro, Vice President for Instruction and Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning.
The university also ranked No. 25 among the best U.S. schools for veterans. Initiatives focused on legal and health assistance for veterans as well as scholarship support and outstanding ROTC programs help drive this distinction.
And U.S. News is only one of several recent rankings that place UGA among the best universities in the nation. Forbes ranked UGA No. 19 nationally among public universities and No. 13 among universities in the South.
UGA was also named one of the best universities in the nation in The Princeton Review’s 2025 best colleges ranking, coming in at No. 13 in the nation for best value public schools, No. 12 among best value public colleges without aid, No. 16 among all schools for internships, No. 11 for financial aid and No. 9 for best alumni networks.
In May, UGA’s Jere W. Morehead Honors College was ranked No. 1 in the nation by College Transitions. Money magazine gave UGA a 4.5 out of 5 stars in its most recent ranking, naming it one of America’s best colleges. The School of Law was also recently named the nation’s best value in legal education by The National Jurist — the fourth time in the last six years the school has occupied the top spot. Financial Times rated Terry’s full-time MBA program the No. 1 value for the money worldwide.
“Our commitment to creating a world-class learning environment and our focus on student success are reflected in these latest rankings,” said S. Jack Hu, the university’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “I’m pleased that these investments are being recognized and want to thank the faculty and staff for their dedication.”
These latest rankings demonstrate years of sustained growth in a variety of key areas at the university.
UGA consistently ranks among the top five universities in the nation for new products based on research to enter the marketplace. The university has also seen a 350% increase in the number of startup companies in its pipeline.
For the last two years in a row, UGA exceeded half a billion dollars in research and development expenditures. Its $570.9 million total in fiscal year 2023 not only marked a record high but was also the fifth consecutive year of expenditure growth. This was driven by a 40% increase in sponsored research projects over the last five years.
The recent establishment of a new School of Medicine at the university will further enhance the university’s research enterprise while also preparing more highly trained physicians to serve the needs of Georgia’s growing population.
Demand for a UGA education reached an all-time high with 41,615 students enrolling in the fall of 2023. Those students are among the most academically talented in the nation. UGA is one of the top three producers of Rhodes Scholars among public universities in the last 30 years, and UGA was named a top producer of Fulbright student recipients for six of the last 12 years.
UGA also boasts an impressive 95% retention rate for incoming students who return for their sophomore year, and 96% of UGA graduates are employed or in graduate school within six months of their graduation.
