Education
Education

UGA’s first-year students include many of the best and brightest

The Class of 2029, which begins classes Wednesday, had test scores well above state and national averages.
The University of Georgia's Class of 2029 takes a group picture at Sanford Stadium earlier this month. (Courtesy of the University of Georgia)

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

The University of Georgia's Class of 2029 takes a group picture at Sanford Stadium earlier this month. (Courtesy of the University of Georgia)
By AJC Staff Report
Aug 13, 2025

The University of Georgia begins its fall semester Wednesday with more than 6,200 first-year students on its campus. By several measures, they’re very smart.

The state’s flagship university released data Tuesday showing its incoming class had an average high school grade-point average of 4.17. The average SAT score was 1356, which was about 300 points higher the national average. The average ACT score was 31, which was 10 points above the statewide average.

ExploreUGA admits Class of 2029, breaking application record

Many of these students were at the top of their class. UGA reported 215 of its new students were their high school’s valedictorian or salutatorian.

It’s become increasingly difficult to become a Georgia Bulldog. UGA received a record 47,860 applications from prospective students for this school year. The acceptance rate was just 33%, which was 20 percentage points lower than it was a decade ago.

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