ATLANTA – The University System of Georgia sets a new record for degrees awarded in the FY2025 over the previous fiscal year.
Release:
The overall number of degrees awarded by University System of Georgia (USG) institutions in FY2025 increased by 7.9% over the previous fiscal year, reaching a new all-time high for the system of 82,607 degrees conferred annually. The increase this past fiscal year is the most significant year-over-year increase the system has seen in the last decade.
The number of degrees awarded has risen by 50.6% since USG joined the Complete College America program in 2011 and prioritized increasing degree completion in Georgia. Over the same period, system enrollment increased 12.8%, meaning the rate of awarding degrees continues to far outpace enrollment.
“USG is producing a record number of graduates ready to fill high-demand, high-skill jobs that power Georgia’s economy,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “Our focus on student success delivers real value — not just for the state, but for every student whose degree opens doors to opportunity and long-term prosperity. That’s what I call good, better, best.”
Among the new data, USG graduate and professional degrees awarded rose to 28,868 — a 15.2% increase over the previous year. During that same period, USG undergraduates earned 53,739 degrees, a 4.3% increase over FY2024.
One notable increase was in the number of master’s degrees awarded, which increased by over 2,200 or 12.1% from 2024 to 2025. Since 2021, the number of master’s degrees awarded has increased by 40%. Additionally, education specialist degrees have seen a significant increase, with approximately 1,000 more awarded in 2025 compared to 2024, representing a 56.8% increase and a measurable step toward improving teachers’ skills and retention in Georgia.
Several ongoing USG initiatives have continued to help promote degree completion. To help students and families make informed decisions about college affordability and value, USG launched a website called Georgia Degrees Pay in 2022 that continues to expand its availability to the public.
Georgia Degrees Pay provides data on everything from student success, costs, affordability and earning potential — allowing stakeholders to access data comparing student progress, success rates, borrowing, debt and average earnings by degree for every one of USG’s 26 public colleges and universities. This year, Georgia Degrees Pay launched the Academic Program Finder, which enables students to search all USG institutions, locations and online programs to find the best match for their academic needs.
Other initiatives include the Momentum Year program, which focuses on the first-year college experience, and Complete College Georgia, which uses predictive analytics, “degree roadmaps” and other efforts to improve student access and increase graduation rates.
The steady increase in the number of degrees awarded since 2011 also coincides with the growing value of a USG degree. According to a recent study, USG graduates with at least a bachelor’s degree will earn over $1.4 million more during their lifetimes than they would have without their college degree. Graduate and professional degrees add to those average career earnings, in some cases with additional earnings of more than $2 million over a USG graduate’s lifetime.
