ATLANTA — The University System of Georgia announced it had reached a record enrollment level thanks to a 4.8% increase in students, marking a third consecutive year of growth for the state system.
“Across the state, we’re not just enrolling students but we’re preparing them for the real-world demands of a fast-changing workforce,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said in a statement. “Thanks to the hard work of our presidents, faculty and staff, we’re helping more students enter college, stay on track and get to graduation.”
According to officials, enrollment reached 382,142 students this fall.
Enrollment grew at 23 of USG’s 26 public colleges and universities, with the total number of students rising by 17,417 compared to Fall 2024.
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The majority of this increase is attributed to in-state students, with a 4.8% rise in Georgians seeking education within the system.
While the number of in-state students was a big factor in enrollment increases, the growth of international students at Georgia colleges and universities has slowed down.
Comparing data of students from outside of the United States coming to USG institutions, the number of new international students was up fewer than 300 students, a marked departure from previous year-over-year enrollment.
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Looking at fall semester data going back to 2019, Channel 2 Action News analyzed the growth rates over time.
Based on the available data from USG, 2025’s international student enrollment increase was the lowest growth level since 2020.
For that time period, the number of new students from outside of the U.S. only went up by 135 from 2019 to 2020, a 0.7% increase.
Statistics from USG show that, for out-of-country enrollees, numbers were:
- Fall 2021: 22,348, a 15.2% increase
- Fall 2022: 24,164, a 8.12% increase
- Fall 2023: 25,437, a 5.27% increase
- Fall 2024: 27,231, a 7.05% increase
- Fall 2025: 27,526, a 1.08% increase
While growth remained above 5% through the fall 2024 semester, with some fluctuation, the increase of international enrollments this year was significantly lower, barely breaking past 1%.
Still, the USG reported the fall 2025 headcount increased across all four sectors of institutions within the system, with comprehensive universities experiencing the largest increase in the number of students and percentage growth.
University system officials said there were 7,465 new students, a 7.5% enrollment increase.
Kennesaw State University led the system in overall headcount growth, adding 3,530 students this fall, while the University of West Georgia posted the highest percentage increase at 11.7%.
Georgia Highlands College and Fort Valley State University followed closely, with growth rates of 9.5% and 9.4%, respectively.
USG said the Georgia Institute of Technology remains the largest institution in the system, enrolling 56,715 students — a 6.3% increase over last fall.
Enrollment rose across both undergraduate and graduate levels at USG institutions this fall, according to officials.
Undergraduate enrollment increased by 4.1% with 11,423 students compared to 2024, while graduate and professional programs added 5,832 students, a 7.2% jump.
Of those, 4,823 were master’s students — an 8.4% increase. More half of them are enrolled at Georgia Tech.
The fastest-growing category in terms of percent was education specialists, which saw a 12.4% rise.
Fall 2025 marked the third consecutive year of growth in beginning freshman enrollment across USG institutions, with a 3.6% increase in students compared to the previous year.
Dual enrollment also hit a new high, reaching 24,280 students — a 15% jump from Fall 2024.
The university system said demographic numbers continue to show an increasingly varied student population.
The number of students identifying as Asian increased by 5.2%, and those identifying as Latino grew by 8.9%. There was an 8.1% increase in Black students, while the number of white students increased by 1.7%.
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