University of Georgia Ranking – Introduction
With 18 schools and colleges housing more than 142 unique fields of study, University of Georgia’s academic diversity is a core strength. The university also has a track record of student success. 96% of 2022 graduates were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. Several graduates have become Rhodes Scholars. As a result, the University of Georgia ranking is one of the highest among public universities in the US.
Founded in 1785, the University of Georgia is one of the United States’ oldest public institutions of higher education. UGA’s main campus is located in Athens, Georgia, one of the best college towns in the South. The university also has two smaller campuses located in Tifton and Griffin, and two satellite campuses in Atlanta and Lawrenceville.
Why UGA rankings matter?
You may be wondering, how should the University of Georgia rankings factor into your decision about whether to apply? For one, your college list should reflect a variety of factors that matter to you. The UGA ratings are only one factor. Certainly, rankings can indicate whether a school has resources, opportunities, or a solid track record of student success. However, they don’t tell us whether a school is a good fit for you as an individual. CollegeAdvisor.com can provide the individualized support you need to decide whether UGA is the school for you!
In this article, we’ll discuss the University of Georgia ranking according to trusted sources. Particularly, we’ll learn how different sources calculate those rankings and why that matters to you as a potential applicant. Moreover, we’ll see how the UGA ranking has changed, if at all, in recent years. In addition, we’ll compare the school to other universities in Georgia. Finally, but most importantly, we’ll learn how UGA rankings influence whether the school might fit into your college list.
What is UGA ranked?
Across many national college rankings, the University of Georgia rankings reveal that it is a top school. The University of Georgia ranking in U.S. News and World Report is #16 out of all public universities. A variety of other University of Georgia rankings also show how the school stands out in more specific ways nationally. Let’s take a look.
First, the University of Georgia ranking in U.S. News is #24 for best schools which support veterans. UGA also ranked #30 in Most Innovative Schools, which is a list created using peer ratings (ratings by other colleges). Innovative schools make constant improvements to curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, and facilities.
Moreover, the University of Georgia ranking in Forbes is #21 out of all public schools. In particular, Forbes college rankings focus on UGA’s value for the price and track record for graduate career success. According to Forbes college rankings, UGA is #10 in the South and #45 among research universities.
Lastly, the University of Georgia ranking in Wall Street Journal is #143 nationally. The University of Georgia ratings include high scores for student outcomes and engagement. Scores are slightly lower for the environment, which includes diversity and inclusion. Additionally, the UGA ranking is slightly low for resources, which includes faculty per student and finances per student.
Overall, the University of Georgia ratings show it’s an excellent public school with the potential to accelerate a student’s career. In the next section, we’ll see how the University of Georgia rankings compare to other schools across the United States.
How is UGA ranked nationally?
The University of Georgia rankings are not only high among public schools, but also among all schools nationally. National rankings compare schools of all types—public, private, small, and large. For this reason, a high national ranking says a great deal about the education you’ll receive there.
Nationally, the University of Georgia ranking in U.S. News is #49 out of 443 schools. The University of Georgia ranking in Forbes is #54 out of 500 schools. In the Wall Street Journal college rankings, the University of Georgia ranking is lower at #143 nationally. This is still a respectable ranking given that the Wall Street Journal college rankings include over 800 colleges!
There are many reasons why the University of Georgia ranking is so high. The school serves over 30,000 undergraduates and nearly 10,000 graduate students. Thus, the school is a large institution with lots of resources, programs, and opportunities. However, more than half of its classes have fewer than 20 students, meaning that students can still get an intimate educational experience. Furthermore, as a public institution, UGA provides an affordable education, especially for Georgia residents who receive in-state tuition!
At this point, you might be wondering why University of Georgia rankings differ across sources. Next, we’ll review how Forbes college rankings, U.S. News college rankings, and Wall Street Journal college rankings are calculated. We’ll also discuss why these differences in how UGA rankings are calculated matter for you as an individual.
What are college rankings?
Several college ranking systems exist. They each use a combination of different factors to determine national college rankings, such as:
- Graduate outcomes like salaries
- Retention and graduation rates
- Resources such as financial aid
- Student-to-faculty ratios
Other college ranking systems, such as Niche, give colleges letter grades for key factors like diversity, academics, and value. Niche also includes student reviews regarding professors, extracurriculars, and career support. In truth, college ranking lists can’t truly capture the experience of living on campus and participating in the community. Reading student reviews is another way to get trusted data about the story behind the University of Georgia rankings.
Speaking of the story behind rankings, the next section delves into how rankings are calculated by trusted sources!
University of Georgia Rankings you can trust
The most trusted UGA rankings come from Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News college rankings. These systems use multiple data points and have been collecting data on colleges for years, if not decades. While they tweak their systems each year, they also collect information that is critical when making a college decision.
The U.S. News college rankings are based on 17 indicators of academic quality. Specifically, the highest weighted indicators are graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, and undergraduate academic reputation. Meanwhile, Forbes college rankings consider seven measures, including:
- Alumni salary
- Graduate debt load
- Graduation rate
- Graduate leadership rate, based on how many graduates appear on the Forbes American Leaders List
Lastly, the Wall Street Journal college rankings focus on four key areas. Most importantly, WSJ ranks student outcomes, college resources, and student engagement.
As you can see, each college ranking agency has different metrics for evaluating schools. While these lists can give you a good understanding of these criteria, they’re not the full picture. Remember when building your college list to prioritize your personal standards and needs, in addition to college ranking information.
Based on this understanding, we’ll dive into comparing the UGA ranking to other colleges in Georgia.
University of Georgia Ranking vs. Other Top Universities in Georgia
Some college ranking websites, including U.S. News college rankings and Wall Street Journal college rankings, have a comparison feature. It’s a good idea to compare schools of similar size and with similar resources. For instance, try comparing UGA to other top Georgia universities, like Emory and the Georgia Institute of Technology. You’ll see that the UGA ranking comes among the top schools in Georgia.
Let’s compare Georgia Tech and UGA rankings specifically. Regionally, Georgia Tech is #3 among Public Colleges in the South according to college rankings in the Wall Street Journal. Nationally, Georgia Tech is #44 according to college rankings in U.S. News while the University of Georgia ranking is #49. UGA and Georgia Tech are the only Georgia public universities in the Top 20 Public Schools on U.S. News college rankings. Clearly, both offer an excellent education!
On the other hand, when we compare UGA to Emory, we see that Emory is ranked #22 nationally. As a private school, Emory is smaller, more selective, and more expensive than UGA. Still, the University of Georgia is an excellent, top-ranked school that provides quality education for a reasonable price. If you are a Georgia resident, consider applying for the HOPE Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship that can help you afford the Georgia school of your dreams!
The University of Georgia ranking is undeniably high according to these college ranking lists. But don’t let that stop you from applying to Emory or Georgia Tech if they catch your eye. After all, a strong college list has a handful of schools, each with their own strengths.
Now that we’re convinced UGA is a great school, let’s explore its ranking history. How long has it been leading the pack in public education?
University of Georgia Ranking Trends
The University of Georgia was one of the nation’s first public institutions. As such, it has a long history of educating brilliant students. But how long have we seen UGA ranking high on the list of public universities?
National college rankings shift annually based on changes in data and each ranking system’s process for determining national college rankings. Even so, the University of Georgia rankings have remained at #16 among public schools for many years straight. As such, the University of Georgia rankings reveal that the school provides a consistently effective college education.
UGA has a range of majors to choose from, but its national rankings are particularly high for business education. All seven majors of its Terry School of Business rank in the Top 20 programs on U.S. News college rankings. The College of Education at UGA sits at #31 in national college rankings. These trends show how the University of Georgia ranking isn’t going down any time soon.
University of Georgia Ranking and Your College List
As you build your college list, the UGA ranking can be an important metric. By reviewing the UGA ranking in-depth, you can determine whether the college has the attributes you’re looking for. Let’s think about the impact of different ranking systems.
When considering the UGA ranking, take note of how the ranking system aligns with your priorities. For example, if graduating with a high salary and low debt is important to you, consider Forbes’ UGA ranking more heavily. For academic reputation and graduation rates, look to the University of Georgia ranking in Wall Street Journal or U.S. News. You may also wish to focus on how a school like UGA ranks for specific areas of study. Particularly, this is wise if those areas of study could be your future college major!
As such, relying entirely on one number from the UGA ranking isn’t the best approach. Dig deeper and learn more about what that number means to you. Your college list doesn’t have to be all the best colleges according to rankings. Even if another school is ranked higher, UGA could be your dream school.
University of Georgia Ranking – Final Thoughts
The University of Georgia rankings demonstrate that it’s a school worth exploring, especially if you live in Georgia. In this article, we saw how the UGA ranking reflects a high-quality education for a public school price. With a wide breadth of academic options and a track record for strong student outcomes, UGA is a smart choice. With a 40% acceptance rate, UGA is a selective school, meaning your application should be well-polished and strong.
That’s where CollegeAdvisor comes in. Our team of College Admissions Experts includes several advisors who were admitted to UGA. We have resources for everything from SAT scores to acing your personal statement, which all factor into an admissions decision. We even support students with applications to scholarship programs such as the HOPE Scholarship, which is exclusively for Georgia students. At every step of the college admissions process, CollegeAdvisor is here to help!
This article was written by Courtney Ng. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile. We will help you increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.
