UNG hits enrollment record in fall 2026

More students are attending the University of North Georgia (UNG) than at any previous point in the institution's 153-year history. Enrollment grew 2.1% to 20,747 students this fall, a year after topping 20,000 for the first time.

UNG also saw a 10.4% jump in graduate students, now totaling 1,100 students pursuing advanced degrees.

"Across our five campuses, we are creating opportunities, expanding our impact and building momentum that is unmistakable," Interim President Chaudron Gille said. "Our momentum isn't the result of one person, one program or one initiative. It is the product of faculty who challenge and inspire, staff who make extraordinary things possible and a university community that believes deeply in the potential of our students."

Michelle Zapata, a freshman from Locust Grove, Georgia, pursuing a degree in psychology, is one of 4,026 first-time freshmen who enrolled at UNG this fall. She toured UNG's Dahlonega Campus four times before applying and said she "loved it more and more every time."

Zapata chose psychology as a career field thanks to her time volunteering in high school with a group that helped women facing domestic violence.

"I know I want to go into a field where I can serve others," Zapata said. "I want to be able to help people overcome the trauma that they've gone through and know that they have a place in the world and that everything's going to be OK, no matter what they went through."

Zapata took an introduction to psychology course with Dr. Amanda Halliburton during dual enrollment and is now enjoying Halliburton's psychopathology course in her first semester as a full-time UNG student. She rushed with Delta Phi Epsilon sorority this fall, and the freshman is also starting a job as a tour guide with Undergraduate Admissions.

"Getting involved at UNG is so easy. You will see the same people around everywhere, and that helps you make connections here," Zapata said. "There are so many clubs and opportunities to get involved in, and I feel like there's a variety for everybody."