How to Get Into University of Georgia: Admissions Stats + Tips

What’s Covered:

• How Hard Is It to Get Into the University of Georgia?
• Average Academic Profile of Accepted University of Georgia Students
• What is the University of Georgia Looking For?
• How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into the University of Georgia 

The University of Georgia (UGA) is the birthplace of public-funded higher education in the U.S. UGA was the nation’s first state-chartered university and sparked a movement that still resonates more than two centuries later—in 2019, about 14.5 million students enrolled in public colleges. The University of Georgia didn’t just set the idea of public higher education in motion, it’s a leader in it. UGA counts itself among CollegeVine’s top 15 public universities in the U.S.    

How Hard Is It to Get Into the University of Georgia?

UGA accepted 15,350 students to its Class of 2025 from a pool of 39,359 applicants—an acceptance rate of 39%. 

The University of Georgia’s acceptance rate is low, but your personal chances there may be higher or lower depending on your profile strength. CollegeVine’s free admissions calculator can help you to better understand your odds at UGA. It uses factors like your grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities to estimate your chance of admission and offer insight to improve your profile.  

Average Academic Profile of Accepted University of Georgia Students

GPA

The average high school GPA of the University of Georgia’s Class of 2025 is 4.02. 

SAT/ACT

The middle 50% SAT range of the UGA’s Class of 2025 is 1220-1390. The middle 50% ACT range is 27-32.

Class Rank

The University of Georgia didn’t report the average class rank for its Class of 2025, but it’s reasonable to assume it is high. Over 88% of the Class of 2025’s high school course grades were As. Approximately 5% of UGA’s Class of 2025 were high school valedictorians or salutatorians. 

What is the University of Georgia Looking For?

The University of Georgia is a state-funded institution; consequently, they receive and accept a large number of Georgia residents. UGA welcomed students from more than 520 Georgia high schools and from 149 Georgia counties to its Class of 2025—out-of-state students make up just 15% of the student body. 

Students from Georgia may be in the majority on UGA’s campus, but don’t let that trick you into believing that the Class of 2025 lacks diversity—37% are minorities. Students in UGA’s Class of 2025 represent 43 states and 53 different countries. The top 10 states, with the exception of Georgia, represented in the university’s Class of 2025 are:

• North Carolina 
• Florida 
• Texas 
• Virginia 
• Maryland 
• South Carolina 
• New York 
• New Jersey 
• California 
• Tennessee

How the University of Georgia Evaluates Applications

According to their 2020-2021 Common Data Set, the University of Georgia considers the following factors “very important”:

• Course rigor
• GPA

These factors are “important”:

• Test scores 

These are “considered”:

• Essay 
• Recommendations 
• Extracurricular activities 
• Talent 
• Character
• First generation 
• Volunteer work 
• Work experience 

And these are “not considered”:

• Class rank
• Interview 
• Legacy 
• Geographic residence 
• State residence 
• Religious affiliation 
• Racial/ethnic status 
• Applicant interest 

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into the University of Georgia 

1. Achieve at least a 4.02 GPA while taking the most challenging classes available

The University of Georgia is serious about academics. According to UGA, “the grades that you earn in your high school courses play the most important role in determining your competitiveness for admission to UGA.” UGA only considers two factors “very important” to admissions: course vigor and GPA. The average GPA of the University of Georgia’s Class of 2025 is 4.02 and more than 12,450 admitted students have a core high school GPA of 4.00 or higher. 

It’s more than great grades that set students apart at UGA, it’s the level of coursework undertaken. Students admitted to UGA’s Class of 2025 took, on average, 10 AP/IB/Dual Enrollment courses—with a mid-range of seven to 12 courses. 

Selective schools like the University of Georgia use a tool known as the “Academic Index” to expedite the admissions process. Academic Index is your entire academic performance represented by a single number. If your Academic Index does not meet UGA’s standards, you risk being deemed academically unqualified and not having your application given serious consideration. 

If your GPA is lower than UGA’s standard, and you’re early in your high school career, check out our tips for increasing your GPA. If you’re a junior or senior, it’s more challenging to increase your GPA—this makes earning higher test scores the best way to improve your Academic Index.

2. Aim for a 1220 SAT and 1390 ACT 

After GPA and course rigor, UGA values test scores. It’s the only factor that the university views as “important.” The middle 50% SAT and ACT range of the UGA’s Class of 2025 are 1220-1390 and 27-32.  

UGA super scores both the SAT and ACT and will use your highest section scores from all of the times you sat for the test to create a composite score. Because of this, a sound strategy to maximize your score (and odds of admission) is to take the SAT or ACT between two and three times. Research from the College Board (the group that administers the SAT) found that 63% of SAT test-takers increased their score by taking the test more than once.

To improve your SAT/ACT score, check out these free CollegeVine resources:

• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT
• How to Get a Perfect 36 Score on the ACT
• More SAT Info and Tips
• More ACT Info and Tips

UGA was test-optional for the 2019-2020 admissions cycle and will continue that policy into the 2021-2022 admissions cycle—more than 40% of the Class of 2025 was admitted without a test score. That said, it’s still a good idea to submit a test score if you can take an exam safely and score at, or above, the 25th percentile of accepted students. You can get recommendations on whether or not you should apply test-optional using our free chancing engine. 

3. Cultivate one or two Tier 1-2 extracurriculars (find your “spike”)

UGA might only “consider” extracurricular activities, but they’re looking for interesting students who are excited about the world around them. As for the myth of colleges looking for well-rounded students, the University of Georgia says:

It is our goal as we review applications to build a well-rounded class of students. If our class is full only of students that are well rounded, it could get a little bit boring. We like edges and we like passion!

One way to show your edges and passion is with a highly developed interest known as a “spike,” and one or two impressive supporting extracurricular activities. How impressive are your activities outside of the classroom? The four tiers of extracurriculars provide a good guide to judging how colleges view extracurricular activities. 

• Tier 1 activities are the most influential you can have on your college resume; they demonstrate exceptional achievement or leadership and are extremely rare. These include winning a prestigious national competition or attending a distinguished merit-based summer program. 

• Tier 2 activities display big accomplishments or great leadership but are more common than Tier 1 extracurriculars. For example, Tier 2 activities include winning a regional award or earning state-level recognition in athletics or music. 

• Tier 3 extracurriculars are great for highlighting your interests outside of the classroom but are more common and don’t hold the same weight as those in the higher tiers. Holding a leadership position in a well-known club or serving as student body president are good examples of Tier 3 activities. 

• Tier 4 is home to the most common and least influential extracurricular activities, like being a member of a club, participating in a sport, or playing an instrument.  

4. Write engaging essays

The University of Georgia only “considers” essays when making admissions decisions. That said, essays are one of the best ways to set yourself apart from other applicants. UGA requires applicants to submit two essays. One of the required essays is longer and uses the prompts from either the Common Application or Coalition Application. The second essay is shorter and asks students to respond to the following prompt:

The college admissions process can create anxiety. In an attempt to make it less stressful, please tell us an interesting or amusing story about yourself from your high school years that you have not already shared in your application.

In general, you should use the essay to highlight what makes you unique by writing in your own voice and to demonstrate both why you belong at the school and how you’ll benefit from it once on campus. For specific advice on how to write a compelling UGA essay, check out our article, “How to Write the University of Georgia Essays 2021-2022.”

5. Apply Early Action

The University of Georgia has an early action admissions process. Early action is non-binding and doesn’t limit you from applying in any way to another college. If admitted, you have until May 1 to make a decision of whether or not to attend UGA. 

How to Apply to the University of Georgia 

Deadlines

Application Requirements

The University of Georgia accepts the Common Application, Coalition Application, and UGA Application. Other requirements include:

• Secondary school report 
• Transcript 
• UGA supplemental essay 

Other optional materials include: 

• SAT/ACT 
• Letters of Recommendation 

Learn more about the University of Georgia 

Interested in learning more about UGA? Check out these other informative articles: 

• What Does it Cost to Attend the University of Georgia?
• University of Georgia Essay Example by an Accepted Student
• University of Georgia Student Panel
• Top 15 Public Universities in the U.S.

Want to know your chances at UGA? Calculate your odds for free right now.