The University System of Georgia (USG) is the government agency that includes 25 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates general policy to educational institutions as well as administering the Public Library Service of the state which includes 58 public library systems. The USG also dispenses public funds (allocated by the state's legislature) to the institutions but not the lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship. The USG is the sixth largest university system in the United States by total student enrollment, with 344,392 students in 26 public institutions as of 2023. USG institutions are divided into four categories: research universities, regional comprehensive universities, state universities, and state colleges.
The system designates four institutions as "research universities": Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, Augusta University, and Georgia State University. The University of Georgia is the state and system's flagship university, the state's oldest institution of higher learning, and one of the state's two land-grant universities. After its 2016 merger with Georgia Perimeter College, Georgia State University became the largest institution of higher learning in the USG until 2024, with over 50,000 students. University of North Georgia is the state's designated military school. There are three historically black schools housed within the USG: Savannah State University, Albany State University, and the state's second land-grant university, Fort Valley State University.
In 2012, all USG institutions combined had a $14.1 billion economic impact on the state of Georgia. Georgia Tech in Atlanta and University of Georgia in nearby Athens had the largest impacts on their regional economies: $2.6 billion and 20,869 jobs at Georgia Tech and $2.2 billion and 22,196 jobs at the University of Georgia. Georgia State University's central campus in Atlanta had a $1.6 billion economic impact with 13,736 jobs; given its merger with Perimeter College, with an economic impact of $600 million, Georgia State's overall economic impact on the Atlanta metro area is $2.2 billion.
History
Early years The University System of Georgia was created with the passage of the Reorganization Act of 1931 by the Georgia General Assembly in 1931. The act created a board of regents to oversee the state's colleges and universities and the 26 boards of trustees that had provided oversight over the institutions before passage of the act. The board of regents officially took office on January 1, 1932, and consisted of eleven members to be appointed by the Governor of Georgia pending approval from the Georgia Senate. The governor held an ex officio position on the board. The regents were to elect a chairman and select a secretary. One regent was appointed from each of Georgia's ten congressional districts and the eleventh member was chosen at large.
Governor Richard Russell Jr.'s initial appointees included Cason Jewell Callaway Sr., Martha Berry, Richard Russell Sr. (the governor's father), George C. Woodruff, William Dickson Anderson Sr. (1873–1957), Egbert Erle Cocke Sr. (1895–1977) and Philip Robert Weltner Sr. (1887–1981). Anderson was elected chairman, Weltner vice-chairman and Cocke was appointed as the secretary/treasurer. Prior to the Reorganization Act, Georgia university chief executives held the title of chancellor; however, after the Act, university heads were given the title of president and a new chancellor position was created. The USG chancellor was selected and overseen by the board. At the request of the regents, Charles Snelling, the presiding head of the University of Georgia (UGA), stepped down from his position at UGA to become the initial chancellor of the entire system.
The 1932 annual report for the board stated outstanding debts of $1,074,415. Over the next few years, the USG endeavored to transform the state's institutions of higher learning by reorganizing schools, merging and closing others and transforming course offerings and curriculum.
Modern history In 2011, Chancellor Hank Huckaby recommended four consolidations among eight institutions, which would be implemented in 2013. The same year, the board of regents adopted six "Principles for Consolidation", which has led to multiple consolidations in the subsequent years. As of 2026, these consolidations decreased the number of USG colleges and universities from 35 to 25.
In Fall 2018, the university system saw enrollment reach an all-time high of 328,712 students enrolled across the system's 26 colleges and universities.
On March 6, 2019, an Atlanta court upheld a USG policy barring unauthorized immigrants from attending Georgia State, Georgia Tech, and the University of Georgia.
In regards to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the USG decided against making wearing face coverings mandatory for the fall 2020 semester before deciding to mandate them.
On April 1, 2022, former Georgia governor and United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue became the system's 14th chancellor. That same month, the system was censured by the American Association of University Professors over changes to tenure protections.
Georgia Research Alliance The Georgia Research Alliance is an Atlanta, Georgia-based nonprofit organization that coordinates research efforts between Georgia's public and private sectors. While GRA receives a state appropriation for investment in university-based research opportunities, its operations are funded through foundation and industry contributions. In its first 19 years, GRA leveraged $525 million in state funding into $2.6 billion of additional federal and private investment.
In 2007, GRA coalesced the strengths of several universities into a focused research effort built around new types of vaccines and therapeutics.
GRA Eminent Scholars
GRA Eminent Scholars are top scientists from around the world recruited by the Georgia Research Alliance. For each scholar, GRA invests $750,000 for an endowment, an amount that the research university matches in private funds on a minimum 1-1 basis. Eminent Scholars often bring a research team, significant federal funding and private support for their research. Georgia's investment in GRA Eminent Scholars has yielded more than $1 billion in outside grants and contracts for the state and helped to launch some 35 companies.
GRA's Cancer Initiative
After 10 years as an independent nonprofit organization, the Georgia Cancer Coalition became an initiative of the Georgia Research Alliance on January 18, 2012. The move was part of a larger effort to align Georgia's economic development assets in a more effective way.
GRA VentureLab
The Georgia Research Alliance set out to help launch companies around Georgian university research results, GRA launched its lead commercialization program, VentureLab, in 2002.
GRA also works with established Georgia companies through the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Centers of Innovation in aerospace, logistics, life sciences, energy, agriculture and advanced manufacturing. The COIs help find technology solutions to industry challenges, in part by connecting companies to leading-edge research at Georgia's universities.
From 2002 to 2010, GRA directed $19 million of state funding into VentureLab. During that time, more than 700 university inventions or discoveries have been evaluated for commercial potential. More than 107 active companies have been formed, which employ more than 650 Georgians. These companies have also attracted $460 million in equity investment and generated $77 million in revenue.
GRA Centers of Research Excellence
Centers of Research Excellence are collaborative and individual efforts that focus on one area of scientific research.
List of institutions InstitutionMain Campus LocationFoundedUSG designationPresident Current enrollment (Spring 2026) Budget (FY 2026)Campus size as of 2012 (main campus only) Athletics Augusta University (AU) Augusta 1828 Research University, Medical College Russell T. Keen 11,635 $1,081,159,921 Peach Belt (NCAA Division II) Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech or GT) Atlanta 1885 Research University Ángel Cabrera 56,639 $2,323,904,769 ACC (NCAA Division I) Georgia State University (GSU) Atlanta 1913 Research University M. Brian Blake 48,765 $1,227,227,541 Sun Belt (NCAA Division I) University of Georgia (UGA) Athens 1785 Research University, Flagship University Jere W. Morehead 42,728 $1,951,489,002 SEC (NCAA Division I) Georgia Southern University (GS) Statesboro 1906 Regional Comprehensive University Kyle L. Marrero 29,416 $552,663,510 Sun Belt (NCAA Division I) Kennesaw State University (KSU) Kennesaw 1963 Regional Comprehensive University Kathy "Kat" Schwaig 48,334 $889,225,103 CUSA (NCAA Division I) University of West Georgia (UWG) Carrollton 1906 Regional Comprehensive University Michael Johnson 15,270 $274,137,237 UAC (NCAA Division I) Valdosta State University (VSU) Valdosta 1906 Regional Comprehensive University William R. Crowe (Interim) 9,478 $195,453,204 Gulf South (NCAA Division II) Albany State University (ASU) Albany 1903 State University, HBCU Robert Scott 6,186 $171,471,238 SIAC (NCAA Division II) Clayton State University (CSU) Morrow 1969 State University Georj Lewis 6,226 $96,453,668 Peach Belt (NCAA Division II) Columbus State University (CSU) Columbus 1958 State University Stuart Rayfield 7,152 $140,480,158 Peach Belt (NCAA Division II) Fort Valley State University (FVSU) Fort Valley 1895 State University, HBCU Paul Jones 2,886 $146,642,621 SIAC (NCAA Division II) Georgia College & State University (GCSU or Georgia College) Milledgeville 1889 State University Cathy Cox 6,803 $176,971,673 Peach Belt (NCAA Division II) Georgia Southwestern State University (GSSU) Americus 1906 State University Michelle Johnston 3,672 $59,666,208 Peach Belt (NCAA Division II) Middle Georgia State University (MGA) Macon 1884 State University Christopher Blake 8,400 $149,973,086 Peach Belt (NCAA Division II) Savannah State University (SSU) Savannah 1890 State University, HBCU Jermaine Whirl 2,882 $95,514,521 SIAC (NCAA Division II) University of North Georgia (UNG) Dahlonega 1873 State University, Senior Military College Michael P. Shannon 18,649 $314,023,081 Peach Belt (NCAA Division II) Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) Tifton 1908 State College Tracy Brundage 3,627 $63,048,986 SSAC (NAIA) Atlanta Metropolitan State College (AMSC) Atlanta 1974 State College Ingrid Thompson-Sellers 1,529 $22,837,223 N/A College of Coastal Georgia (CCG) Brunswick 1961 State College Johnny L. Evans Jr. 3,348 $51,211,964 The Sun (NAIA) Dalton State College (DSC) Dalton 1963 State College John M. Fuchko, III 5,038 $67,228,486 SSAC (NAIA) Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) Lawrenceville 2005 State College Jann L. Joseph 11,768 $189,507,999 Continental (NAIA) Georgia Highlands College (GHC) Rome 1970 State College Mike Hobbs 5,078 $53,599,202 GCAA (NJCAA) Gordon State College (GSC) Barnesville 1852 State College Donald J. Green 3,109 $41,118,528 GCAA (NJCAA) South Georgia State College (SGSC) Douglas 1906 State College Gregory M. Tanner 1,808 $29,469,402 GCAA (NJCAA)
USG designations USG classifies its institutions into four "functional sectors" based on each institution's specific mission and function:
Research University: Doctoral-granting institutions classified by the Carnegie Classification as "very high" or "high" research activity (R1 and R2, respectively). Regional Comprehensive University: Institutions that offer undergraduate and master's-level degrees with some master's-dominant graduate programs. State University: Institutions that offer associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees with limited, select doctoral programs.