Georgia's legislature chartered this university in 1785, before any other state had created a public university of its own. Classes began in 1801 on land beside the Oconee River in Athens. Today UGA is the state's flagship, a land-grant and sea-grant research university of more than 43,000 students. It runs the official state art museum, awards the Peabodys, and plays SEC football between the hedges at Sanford Stadium.
About this site
University of Georgia is a college & university in Athens, Clarke County. It is one of 47 historic sites cataloged in Clarke County on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 33.9565, -83.3745 near Athens. The nearest cataloged historic site is Bishop House (historic place), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Parrott Insurance Building, Franklin House, and Garden Club of Georgia Museum-Headquarters House,Founder's Memorial Garden.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes University of Georgia different
Its 1785 charter made it the first university in the United States to be created by a state government. georgiaencyclopedia.org
The iron Arch on Broad Street has marked the campus entrance since 1858. Tradition says undergraduates shouldn't walk under it until they have earned their degree. en.wikipedia.org
The first intercollegiate football game ever played in Georgia took place on Herty Field in 1892, when Georgia beat Mercer 50-0. The field, later paved for parking, was replanted as a green in 1999. en.wikipedia.org
Sanford Stadium's privet hedges, planted for the 1929 opening game against Yale, gave the Bulldogs their famous home-field phrase: playing 'between the hedges.' en.wikipedia.org
The Georgia Museum of Art on East Campus has been the official state art museum of Georgia since 1982. georgiamuseum.org
Its journalism college has run the Peabody Awards, among the oldest honors in American broadcasting, since they began in 1940. peabodyawards.com
Founders Memorial Garden honors the Ladies' Garden Club of Athens, organized in 1891 and recognized as the first garden club in the United States. en.wikipedia.org
On January 27, 1785, Georgia's General Assembly approved a charter written by Abraham Baldwin, a Yale-trained lawyer and minister, creating the first university in the country established by a state government. For sixteen years it existed only on paper. In 1801 John Milledge donated 633 acres on the Oconee River, and Josiah Meigs began teaching the first classes that fall as president and the entire faculty. The first permanent building, finished in 1806 and modeled on Yale's Connecticut Hall, was called Franklin College after Benjamin Franklin, a name the school went by for decades.
The university closed during the Civil War. In 1872 it became Georgia's federal land-grant institution, which led to its agriculture and extension programs. Women were admitted as regular students in 1918. In January 1961, after a federal court ordered their admission, Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter became the first Black students to enroll. A riot broke out outside Hunter's dormitory within days, but both returned and graduated in 1963.
Through the 20th century UGA added professional schools, including journalism, veterinary medicine and social work, and in 1940 its journalism school began administering the Peabody Awards for electronic media. Growth has continued: a College of Engineering in 2012, the Morehead Honors College in 2021, a School of Computing in 2022, and freestanding schools of medicine and nursing in 2024 and 2025. Jere W. Morehead has been president since 2013.
#19 (tie) among public national universities, the 11th straight year in the public top 20 — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#2 undergraduate insurance program and #5 real estate program (Terry College of Business) — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#12 among the top 50 best-value public universities — The Princeton Review, 2027source
#1 honors program or college in the nation (Morehead Honors College), for the second year running — College Transitions, 2026source
#1 in the U.S. for short-term study abroad participation and #5 overall (Open Doors Report) — Institute of International Education, 2025source
#17 among public institutions and #47 overall on its Best Colleges for Future Leaders list — TIME, 2026source
Majors & programs
UGA offers more than 250 academic programs through 21 schools and colleges, from its original arts and sciences college (1801) to a School of Nursing added in 2025. With a list that long, below is each college with a sample of what it teaches. The official UGA Bulletin has every major, minor and certificate.
Known for
Risk Management and Insurance
U.S. News ranked Terry College's undergraduate insurance program #2 in the nation for 2027.
Known for
Real Estate
Terry's real estate program is #5 in the 2027 U.S. News undergraduate business rankings.
Known for
Journalism and Entertainment & Media Studies
Grady College administers the Peabody Awards, and students can work with the Peabody collection and ceremony.
Known for
Ecology
The Odum School of Ecology, founded in 2007, is named for Eugene Odum, a UGA professor often called the father of modern ecosystem ecology.
Known for
Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
As Georgia's land-grant university since 1872, UGA runs the statewide Cooperative Extension service and research stations in Griffin and Tifton.
Known for
Honors (Morehead Honors College)
Ranked the #1 honors program in the country by College Transitions two years in a row (2025 and 2026).
All degree programs at University of Georgia (16)
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Majors include biology, chemistry, English, history, music, psychology, art (Lamar Dodd School of Art) and languages
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Majors include agribusiness, animal science, food science, horticulture and poultry science
Terry College of Business
Majors include accounting, finance, management information systems, marketing, real estate and risk management and insurance
Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
Majors include journalism, advertising, public relations and entertainment and media studies
College of Engineering
Majors include biological, civil, computer, electrical, environmental and mechanical engineering
School of Computing
Computer science, data science and related programs
Mary Frances Early College of Education
Majors include early childhood, special education, kinesiology and communication sciences
School of Public and International Affairs
Majors include political science, international affairs and public policy
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Forestry, wildlife sciences, fisheries and natural resource management
Odum School of Ecology
Ecology and disease ecology
College of Environment and Design
Landscape architecture, historic preservation and environmental planning
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
Majors include fashion merchandising, financial planning, human development and nutritional sciences
College of Public Health
Health promotion, environmental health and public health
School of Social Work
Social work (bachelor's through doctoral)
Health professions and graduate schools
School of Law, College of Pharmacy, College of Veterinary Medicine, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and the Graduate School
Jere W. Morehead Honors College
Honors coursework and research open to students in any major
Charlayne Hunter-Gault — journalist for PBS, NPR and CNN; one of the two students who desegregated UGA in 1961 (B.A. journalism, 1963) en.wikipedia.org
Hamilton Holmes — orthopedic surgeon who desegregated UGA with Hunter and became the first Black student at Emory's medical school (1963 graduate) en.wikipedia.org
Crawford W. Long — physician who pioneered the use of ether as a surgical anesthetic in 1842 (Franklin College, 1835) en.wikipedia.org
Deborah Norville — longtime anchor of 'Inside Edition' and former 'Today' co-host (B.A. journalism, summa cum laude) en.wikipedia.org
Brian Kemp — 83rd governor of Georgia (agriculture degree, 1987) en.wikipedia.org
Fran Tarkenton — Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who led Georgia to the 1959 SEC title en.wikipedia.org
Kirby Smart — Georgia's head football coach, winner of national titles for the 2021 and 2022 seasons; played defensive back for the Bulldogs (1995–98) en.wikipedia.org
Michael Stipe — R.E.M. lead singer, who met his bandmates in Athens while studying art (attended) en.wikipedia.org
Ryan Seacrest — host of 'American Idol' and 'Wheel of Fortune'; studied journalism before leaving for Los Angeles (attended; honorary doctorate, 2016) en.wikipedia.org
Where graduates work
93% of UGA's Class of 2025 were working or continuing their education within six months of graduating. That's UGA Career Center's own figure. It divides graduates who are employed or in further study by all graduates whose outcome is known, leaving out those not seeking work. The Class of 2025 survey covered 8,652 graduates, who went to work for more than 3,000 different employers. Below are the top employers UGA names for that class. career.uga.edu
AmazonAT&TBank of AmericaChick-fil-ADeloitteJPMorgan Chase & Co.KPMGPwCThe Home DepotWells Fargo
The History of the University of Georgia · GPB EducationThe Desegregation of the University of Georgia · GPB EducationMeet University of Georgia mascot Uga the bulldog · CBS Sunday MorningCFP National Championship: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Alabama Crimson Tide | Full Game Highlights · ESPN College FootballFROM THE VAULT | Georgia Gymnastics' 1987 National Championship · Georgia Bulldogs Athletics
It's the country's first state-chartered public university (1785) and Georgia's flagship. It's known for business (especially insurance and real estate), journalism and the Peabody Awards, agriculture, ecology and veterinary medicine, and for SEC football at Sanford Stadium.
How big is UGA?
UGA enrolled 43,146 students in fall 2024, including 32,399 undergraduates, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The main campus in Athens covers about 762 acres.
Is UGA a good school?
U.S. News ranks UGA #19 (tied) among public national universities for 2027, its 11th straight year in the public top 20. The Princeton Review lists it among the best-value public universities.
What division is Georgia in?
The Georgia Bulldogs play in NCAA Division I (FBS) as members of the Southeastern Conference.
How many national championships has Georgia football won?
Georgia claims four: 1942, 1980, and back-to-back College Football Playoff titles for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Can you visit the UGA campus?
Yes. North Campus, the Arch, the Chapel and the gardens are open to walk around. UGA also offers official visits through visit.uga.edu, and the Georgia Museum of Art is open to the public.
Why do students avoid walking under the Arch?
Campus tradition holds that undergraduates shouldn't pass beneath the Arch until they graduate.
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