Our 95% Student Retention Rate Sets The Bar

When it come to students returning to campus, UGA outpaces the national average.

There’s just something about being a Bulldog that students love. It could be the inclusive, supportive environment, or maybe the opportunities to study and learn from some of the best faculty in the nation. Of course, when 95% of students return year over year, well above the 85% national average, there are more reasons than one.

According to Kyle Heumme, a student in the UGA Terry College of Business, the campus in Athens, Georgia is a special place.

“The day I arrived on UGA’s campus, I felt as though I had crossed into a different world entirely,” said Kyle. ”It soon became apparent that UGA was more than just a university, it was my new home, and the place for me to find out who I truly was.”

Image of UGA students walking through campus.

From day one, the community here has been incredible, and UGA has been the best place to grow academically, professionally and personally.
Priyanka Parikh, UGA Student
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major

In addition to the atmosphere on campus, UGA has 19 distinct schools and colleges that offer students unlimited opportunities for personal growth.

“I came to the university as an international affairs major,” said journalism major Mennah Abdelwahab. “My goal was to help people, and I was trying to learn more about systemic issues in our society. I ended up adding a journalism major to figure how to properly condense these issues in a way that is approachable and understandable to people, but also in terms of ‘This is why this policy is bad’ or ‘This is why we should pass this policy.’”

Supporting the needs of UGA students, there are vast resources students are unlikely to find anywhere else.

“Community is a very big thing for me. EESA, the Ethiopian Eritrean Student Association, has been very important to me,” said Nathan Tesfavi, who majors in environmental resource science within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “You’re never going to be represented everywhere, but finding a place where you can not only be yourself but also see yourself represented is like a home away from home.”

Another reason for returning to campus is the opportunity to study and research away from Athens through UGA’s experiential learning programs. Each year, over 3,000 students study abroad in places like Washington, D.C., Oxford, England and other locations that are a little more exotic.

“From staying with a family in a Fijian village to swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura, New Zealand, Discover Abroad allows students to learn through experiences,” said UGA student Emily Thomann. “On top of that, Discover Abroad introduced me to some of my best friends and favorite professors. Discover Abroad teaches you so much more than a textbook ever could.”

By providing students with a safe, inclusive and challenging environment geared toward their bright future, the memories of a UGA education will last a lifetime.