The University of Georgia continues to draw exceptional students from throughout Georgia and the United States. A record 30,490 students applied for early action consideration this year – a 14.6% increase from last year. Out of those, over 9,500 were admitted.  

The number of in-state applications increased 13% this year, from 11,500 to 12,860; out-of-state applications also rose, from approximately 15,000 to 17,630. In all, students from 50 states and Washington, D.C., including 115 counties across Georgia, were admitted for early acceptance and continued the trend of rising academic excellence among UGA students.  

Admission was offered to those with the best academic records, with the middle 50% of admitted students reporting a core GPA of 4.17-4.40; ACT scores of 31-34; SAT scores of 1400-1500; and 9-14 AP, IB or dual enrollment courses. 

“The University of Georgia continues to be a top destination for exceptional students, as seen by our record number of applications from Georgia and across the nation,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Our commitment to academic excellence, innovative programs, and robust student support ensures that UGA remains a place where students come to achieve their highest aspirations.”

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. 22, and out-of-state admitted students were announced on Dec. 6. 

In-state students 

The admitted in-state students hail from 409 Georgia high schools, up from 368 high schools in 2023. The admissions recruitment team made 269 high school visits across the state last year, and this year, they surpassed that number with 311 high school visits in Georgia alone. 

“While getting into the University of Georgia is increasingly competitive due to a wonderful group of applicants, UGA is the state’s flagship institution, and our primary focus is on recruiting, admitting and enrolling Georgia residents,” said David Graves, director of undergraduate admissions. “Approximately 42% of Georgia residents who applied early were offered admission versus 23% of out-of-state students.” 

Regular decision 

Students who were deferred to the regular decision round will still be given full consideration for admission to UGA. 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. Graduation rates rose this year, with four-year rates rising from 75% to 76%, and six-year graduation rates rising from 88% to 89%. Retention of first-year students remains high this year with a rate of 94.3%. 

UGA students also have won many highly competitive awards in recent years, including back-to-back Rhodes Scholarships for 2023 and 2024. In the latest U.S. News & World Report list of top public universities, UGA was ranked No. 18, marking its ninth consecutive year in the top 20.