The
University of Georgia is located in the college town of Athens, Georgia, 70 miles from Atlanta. UGA is the largest institution of higher learning and research in the state and the first state-chartered university in the nation. Today, this flagship campus of the University of Georgia system enrolls 33,660 students and employs 9,838 staff and faculty.
Since its founding in 1785, UGA has risen steadily in quality and reputation, especially since the establishment of Georgia's HOPE Scholarship program in 1993. In 2005, it finally garnered the distinction of becoming a Public Ivy with the
admission of freshman with an average SAT score of 1242, ACT score of 27, and average GPA of 3.74. It has currently placed 19th in the nation's top 50 public universities and 58th overall, according to
US News & World Report.
UGA has several highly ranked programs and schools, most notable include the
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences,
Terry College of Business,
Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources,
School of Law, and the
College of Public Health, which resides in the Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences along with several laboratory intensive groups such as the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases (CTEGD), the Developmental Biology Group (DBG), the Bio-Imaging Research Center (BIRC), the Health and Risk Communcations Group (HRCG), and the Biomedical Health Sciences Institute (BHSI).
The
Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication awards the prestigious George Foster Peobody Awards, which are annually presented for excellence in television and radio news, entertainment, and children's programming. The University also presents an annual Delta Prize for Global Understanding, recognizing individuals or groups who help to promote peace and cooperation among cultures and nations.
Throughout the years, UGA has graduated some notable names across all fields, including actress Kim Basinger,
Lost actor Josh Holloway, actor Wayne Knight from
Seinfeld,
American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe, former NFL running back Terrell Davis, television journalist Deborah Norville, and several of Georgia's governors.
UGA's
athletic teams are the Bulldogs, participating in the NCAA's Division I-A as well as the
Southeastern Conference. Since 1997, the Bulldogs have had six top 10 rankings in the NACDA Director's Cup based on their success in all varsity sports. UGA has won national championships in football, women's gymnastics, baseball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, women's swimming and diving, and women's equestrian. UGA has a historic rivalry with Auburn University, often referred to as the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. It also has fierce rivalries with Georgia Tech and now the University of Florida Gators.
