The University of Georgia continues to attract record numbers of applicants from throughout Georgia and the United States. More than 34,000 students applied for early action consideration this year, a 12.8% increase overall, with out-of-state applications growing at nearly double the in-state rate. Out-of-state applications rose by 17.9%, while in-state applications increased by 8.54%. In total, more than 10,700 early action applicants were admitted.
This growth mirrors a national trend of students increasingly looking to Southern universities including UGA that pair strong academics with a vibrant student experience.
Applicants this year represented 49 states and Washington, D.C., as well as 129 Georgia counties, up from 115 last year.
Admission offers went to students with outstanding academic records. The middle 50% reported a core GPA of 4.18-4.43; ACT scores of 32-35; SAT scores of 1400-1510; and 10-15 AP, IB or dual enrollment courses.
“Exceptional students throughout our state and across the country continue to be drawn to the University of Georgia’s world-class learning environment,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “As the state’s flagship institution, we remain committed to recruiting, admitting and enrolling Georgia residents and consistently advancing our vital land-grant and sea-grant mission through outstanding teaching, groundbreaking research and dedicated public service.”
Because of the increased number of applications, UGA continued announcing early action admissions decisions in two waves: in-state admitted students were announced on Nov. 21, and out-of-state admitted students were announced on Dec. 12.
In-state students
The admitted in-state students hail from 412 Georgia high schools. The admissions recruitment team made 365 high school visits across the state this year, surpassing the 311 the team made in 2024.
“Our recruiting team has been steadily expanding the number and reach of our visits across the state each year to better fulfill our mission to serve Georgians,” said David Graves, executive director of undergraduate admissions. “Our priority is to ensure that Georgia students have strong access to UGA, and we are focused on enrolling a class where approximately 80% of students are Georgia residents.”
Regular decision
Students who were deferred to the regular decision round will still be given full consideration for admission to UGA and will be able to submit grades from the beginning of their senior year as well as new test scores. The regular decision application deadline is Jan. 1, and final admissions decisions for deferred early action and regular decision applicants are usually announced in mid-March.
UGA continues to elevate its academic offerings and student support programs — including a growing active-learning initiative, a variety of First-Year Odyssey courses and peer-to-peer mentoring — resulting in record achievements by its students. Four-year graduation rates rose this year from 76% to 78%, and UGA is one of nine public universities in the U.S. with a six-year graduation rate of 90% or higher. Retention of first-year students remains high this year with a rate of 94%.