The University of North Georgia began in 1873 in an empty federal gold mint in Dahlonega, the town at the heart of the Georgia Gold Rush. Its landmark building, Price Memorial Hall, sits on the mint's foundations, and its steeple is covered in local gold. UNG is one of only six senior military colleges in the U.S. Its Corps of Cadets still drills on a parade field below the steeple, while the university serves about 20,000 students on five campuses.
About this site
University of North Georgia is a college & university in Dahlonega, Lumpkin County. It is one of 39 historic sites cataloged in Lumpkin County on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 34.5291, -83.9842 near Dahlonega. The nearest cataloged historic site is Price Memorial Hall (historic place), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include William Pierce Price, U.A. Lawson Steeple, and Seven Oaks.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes University of North Georgia different
Price Memorial Hall stands on the foundations of the U.S. Branch Mint at Dahlonega, which burned in 1878. In 1972 its steeple was covered with about 13 ounces of local gold. en.wikipedia.org
UNG is one of six senior military colleges in the U.S. and is designated The Military College of Georgia. ung.edu
North Georgia enrolled 98 men and 79 women in its first year, 1873, making it Georgia's first coeducational public college. en.wikipedia.org
It was the first military college in the country to admit women to its Corps of Cadets. georgiaencyclopedia.org
Gen. Courtney H. Hodges (class of 1903) was only the second soldier in U.S. Army history to rise from private to four-star general. He commanded the First Army in World War II. ung.edu
In 2025–26 a UNG senior ranked #1 among more than 5,500 graduating Army ROTC cadets nationwide. ung.edu
The U.S. State Department has named UNG a top producer of Fulbright students for nine straight years. ung.edu
The college grew out of the gold rush. The federal government built a branch mint in Dahlonega in 1836, then closed it at the start of the Civil War. William P. Price, a local lawyer and former congressman, persuaded the state to use the empty mint and federal land-grant money to open North Georgia Agricultural College. Classes began in January 1873, and the first students included 98 men and 79 women, making it Georgia's first public college to admit both. Military training was required from the start, as it was at other land-grant schools.
The mint burned in 1878. The next year the college put up a new building on its foundations and named it Price Memorial Hall. In 1972 the steeple was covered with Dahlonega gold, about 13 ounces beaten into sheets. The school dropped agriculture in 1929 and became North Georgia College, then North Georgia College & State University in 1996. Its ROTC program, which dates to 1916, made it one of the country's six senior military colleges. It was also the first military college to admit women to its Corps of Cadets, and the state recognizes it as The Military College of Georgia.
On January 8, 2013, it merged with Gainesville State College to form the University of North Georgia. UNG now has campuses in Dahlonega, Gainesville, Oconee, Cumming and Blue Ridge, and passed 20,000 students in 2025. Dahlonega is still home to the Corps of Cadets. Michael P. Shannon, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, has been president since July 2023.
Fulbright U.S. Student Program top producer among master's institutions (tied for 3rd; ninth straight year) — U.S. Department of State, 2026source
Top Accelerated BSN Programs in the Nation: #5 — RegisteredNursing.org, 2025source
Majors & programs
UNG offers more than 100 programs in six colleges, from associate degrees at its access campuses to master's and doctoral degrees. The Dahlonega campus is home to the Corps of Cadets and many of the university's military, language and security-studies programs. The list below shows representative majors in each college. See the official degree finder for all of them.
Known for
Strategic and Security Studies
A natural fit for the Military College of Georgia. The cadet ranked #1 in the nation in Army ROTC for 2025–26 was a strategic and security studies major.
Known for
Modern languages, including Chinese
UNG runs a flagship ROTC program in Chinese and a summer Federal Service Language Academy that teaches Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Korean and other critical languages.
Known for
Nursing
RegisteredNursing.org ranked UNG's 15-month accelerated BSN #5 in the nation in 2025. In 2024–25, 98.6% of the College of Health Sciences & Professions' bachelor's graduates with known outcomes were working or continuing their studies.
Known for
Business (Mike Cottrell College of Business)
Graduates have gone to work for Delta, EY, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America, according to UNG's 2024–25 graduation outcomes report.
All degree programs at University of North Georgia (6)
College of Arts & Letters
Majors include strategic and security studies, criminal justice, history, modern languages, English, music and visual arts
Mike Cottrell College of Business
Majors include accounting, finance, management and marketing, plus the MBA
College of Education
Early childhood, middle-grades, secondary and special education teacher preparation, plus graduate degrees
College of Health & Wellness
Majors include nursing, kinesiology and physical therapy
College of Science & Mathematics
Majors include biology, chemistry, computer science, cybersecurity, mathematics and physics
University College
Associate degrees and pathway programs, mostly at the Gainesville, Oconee, Cumming and Blue Ridge campuses
Courtney H. Hodges — four-star general who commanded the U.S. First Army in World War II (class of 1903) en.wikipedia.org
Eugene Patterson — editor of the Atlanta Constitution and winner of the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing (class of 1940) en.wikipedia.org
Tom Murphy — the longest-serving Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives (class of 1943) en.wikipedia.org
James E. Livingston — Marine Corps major general who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam (attended North Georgia College) en.wikipedia.org
William J. Livsey — four-star general who commanded U.S. and U.N. forces in Korea; UNG's drill field is named for him (class of 1952) en.wikipedia.org
Stephen J. Townsend — four-star general and former commander of U.S. Africa Command (class of 1982) en.wikipedia.org
Ben Purcell — Army colonel and the highest-ranking Army officer captured in the Vietnam War, held for five years (commissioned 1950) en.wikipedia.org
Where graduates work
For UNG's 2024–25 bachelor's graduates, career outcome rates ranged from 74.6% (Mike Cottrell College of Business) to 98.6% (College of Health Sciences & Professions), with 95.2% for the College of Education. These are UNG's own figures from its 2024–25 graduation outcomes report. Each rate is the share of graduates with a known outcome who were employed, in the military, volunteering, or continuing their education, leaving out those not seeking a job. UNG reports the rates by college rather than giving one university-wide figure. The employers below are among those UNG lists as hiring its 2024–25 graduates. ung.edu
Northeast Georgia Health SystemNorthside HospitalChildren's Healthcare of AtlantaEmory HealthcareHall County SchoolsForsyth County SchoolsGwinnett County Public SchoolsU.S. ArmyNational Security AgencyDelta Air LinesEYBank of AmericaMorgan StanleyWells FargoTruistNikeGeneral MotorsCaterpillarThe Home DepotGeorgia Aquarium
NCAA Division II · Peach Belt Conference (rifle: Southern Conference, Division I)
BaseballBasketballCross country (women)GolfRifleSoccerSoftballTennisTrack & field (women)
NCAA Division II softball national champions in 2015 and 2023 en.wikipedia.org
Won the Peach Belt Conference's Commissioner's Cup as the league's top all-around athletic program for 2025–26 (the program's third) ung.edu
Women's basketball reached the NCAA Division II national semifinals in 2022 en.wikipedia.org
Individual national champions: Journey Gurley in the pole vault (2021) and Hunter Smith in men's golf (2025) en.wikipedia.org
Home venues: Lynn Cottrell Arena (basketball) · Bob Stein Stadium (baseball) · Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium (softball) · Colonel Raymond C. Hamilton Rifle Range
The Golden Hills of Dahlonega | Georgia Stories · GPB EducationU.S. Branch Mint at Dahlonega: Final Days of the Mint (Part 4 of 4) · Newman Numismatic PortalSoftball: Davenport, Mooney, Sinquefield, Denton look back on UNG national title series win · AccessNorthGA Sports
Is the University of North Georgia a military school?
In part. UNG is one of six senior military colleges in the U.S. and is designated The Military College of Georgia. Its Corps of Cadets lives and trains on the Dahlonega campus. Most UNG students are civilians, though, and joining the corps is optional.
Why is there a gold steeple in Dahlonega?
Price Memorial Hall, the college's 1879 landmark, stands on the foundations of a U.S. gold mint. In 1972 its steeple was covered in about 13 ounces of gold mined in Lumpkin County.
How big is UNG?
Federal data counts 19,291 students in Fall 2024, and UNG passed 20,000 in 2025. Those students are spread across five campuses: Dahlonega, Gainesville, Oconee, Cumming and Blue Ridge.
What division is North Georgia in?
NCAA Division II. The Nighthawks play in the Peach Belt Conference, and the rifle team competes in Division I's Southern Conference. The softball team won national titles in 2015 and 2023.
What is UNG known for?
Its Corps of Cadets and Army ROTC program, language and security-studies programs, nursing, and producing Fulbright scholars, all on a historic mountain campus in the gold-rush town of Dahlonega.
Can you visit the Dahlonega campus?
Yes. The campus sits right beside Dahlonega's historic square. You'll need a visitor pass from UNG Parking Services to park in visitor spaces. Admissions visits are booked at ung.edu/visit.
Who is UNG's president?
Michael P. Shannon has been president since 2023. In September 2026 the University of North Florida's trustees chose him as their next president, pending confirmation, so UNG is expected to announce a successor or interim leader.
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