How Much Does the University of Georgia Cost?

Updated on September 29, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 14 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

The University of Georgia costs about $29,920 per year for a Georgia resident undergraduate living on campus in 2026–27. A nonresident undergraduate has a much higher published budget of $52,156. Those figures include tuition, mandatory fees, housing, food, books, transportation, and personal expenses.

The residency difference is the biggest price driver. UGA charges $10,134 in annual resident undergraduate tuition and $31,804 for nonresidents. Georgia students who qualify for HOPE or Zell Miller can cut the tuition portion sharply, while selected nonresidents can receive scholarships that waive some or all of the out-of-state tuition difference.

Article Highlights

• Resident undergraduate cost of attendance is $29,920 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 5.8 months of full-time work, before taxes) on campus.
• Nonresident undergraduate cost of attendance is $52,156 on campus.
• Resident tuition is $10,134, while nonresident tuition is $31,804.
• Athens-campus mandatory fees total $1,494 per year.
• The 7-day all-access meal plan costs $4,718 per academic year.
• HOPE leaves a $100 annual tuition gap for a 15-credit-per-semester student at current rates.
• Zell Miller covers the full standard undergraduate tuition rate but not mandatory fees.

How Much Does the University of Georgia Cost?

UGA’s 2026–27 cost-of-attendance schedule puts a Georgia resident undergraduate living on campus at $29,920 (about 5.8 months of full-time work at $30 per hour). The university allocates $10,134 to tuition, $1,494 to fees, $7,722 to housing, $4,718 to food, $978 to books and course materials, $1,584 to transportation, and $3,290 to miscellaneous living expenses.

The direct amount paid to UGA in that model is $24,068. Books, transportation, and personal spending make up the remaining budget. A resident student living off campus has a nearly identical official budget of $29,800, although the mix changes because housing becomes an indirect expense.

UGA’s Athens-campus mandatory fees are $747 per semester. They include activity, athletics, ConnectUGA, health, recreation, student-center, technology, transportation, and green fees. Across fall and spring, that becomes $1,494.

The published budget is not a bill guarantee. Housing choice, meal plan, travel, course materials, health insurance, parking, and program-specific fees can move the student’s actual spending above or below the standard allowance.

Resident vs Nonresident

Residency changes UGA’s price more than housing or meal selection. Nonresident undergraduate tuition is $31,804 (about 6.1 months of full-time work at $30 per hour), compared with $10,134 for a Georgia resident. Both groups pay the same standard $1,494 Athens-campus fees.

Using UGA’s on-campus budgets, a resident spends $29,920 while a nonresident is budgeted at $52,156. The annual difference is $22,236. Holding today’s prices unchanged for four years creates an $88,944 residency gap before scholarships, tuition increases, or changes in living expenses.

Residency is governed by University System of Georgia rules. UGA’s residency guidance explains that a student does not become a resident merely by moving to Athens for college. Dependence on a Georgia parent, domicile history, immigration status, military circumstances, and other factors can affect classification.

Some students can receive an out-of-state tuition waiver without becoming Georgia residents. UGA lists waivers for categories such as certain military families and selected scholarship recipients. That distinction matters because a waiver can produce resident-like tuition while the student’s legal residency classification remains unchanged.

Housing and Food

UGA requires most first-year undergraduates to live in University Housing. The first-year live-on rule means freshmen should budget for campus housing unless they receive an approved exemption.

For financial-aid purposes, UGA uses $7,722 as the standard annual on-campus housing allowance. Actual rooms vary. Current 2026–27 residence-hall rates include doubles around $2,906 to $4,419 per semester and selected singles above $4,600 per semester. Apartment-style rooms in East Campus Village can approach $4,912 per semester.

Food is easier to match to the official budget. The 7-day all-access plan costs $2,359 per semester, or $4,718 across fall and spring. The 5-day plan is $2,172 per semester. Upper-level block and commuter plans cost less.

The dining plan is voluntary, so students are not forced into the highest meal-plan price. A freshman living on campus still needs a realistic food budget even without a plan. Someone choosing the 7-day plan plus a $4,419-per-semester double would spend $13,556 on housing and food for the academic year, well above the $12,440 combined allowance in the standard resident budget.

HOPE and Zell Miller

Georgia’s HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships can transform the resident price. UGA’s 2026–27 HOPE schedule shows that a student taking 15 credit hours is charged $5,067 in semester tuition and receives $5,017 from HOPE. The remaining tuition balance is $50.

Across two 15-credit semesters, that leaves only $100 of standard tuition unpaid by HOPE. Add UGA’s $1,494 annual mandatory fees and the resident student’s tuition-and-fee responsibility becomes about $1,594 before books, housing, food, and other costs.

Zell Miller goes further. UGA states that Zell Miller pays 100% of the standard undergraduate tuition rate. It does not pay mandatory fees, books, supplies, housing, or food. A Zell recipient taking a standard full-time load therefore still needs to budget at least the $1,494 annual fee amount plus living expenses.

Enrollment matters with HOPE. UGA charges flat undergraduate tuition once a student reaches seven hours, but HOPE pays by credit hour up to 15. A 12-credit student still owes the $5,067 flat semester tuition yet receives only $4,013.64 from HOPE, leaving $1,053.36. Dropping courses can create a surprise balance even when tuition itself does not change.

Scholarships and Waivers

UGA also uses institutional scholarships to reduce the resident and nonresident price. The 2026–27 academic scholarship chart lists a $3,000 annual Presidential Leadership Scholarship for Georgia residents. Nonresident recipients receive the same stipend plus a waiver covering the full difference between resident and nonresident tuition.

The One UGA Scholarship provides a $3,000 stipend to residents. For nonresidents and international students it provides $1,500 plus a full differential tuition waiver. That is especially valuable because the standard undergraduate tuition difference is $21,670 per year.

UGA also offers partial nonresident awards. Its admissions scholarship page describes Classic Scholarships that waive half of the resident-to-nonresident tuition differential. A full Presidential waiver can eliminate the whole differential for qualifying students.

The university’s most substantial academic award is the Foundation Fellowship. Current benefits include a $15,050 annual stipend for in-state fellows plus Zell Miller, while out-of-state fellows receive a $25,900 annual stipend plus a Presidential tuition waiver. Travel-study and research funding sit on top of those amounts.

Graduate and Law Costs

Graduate pricing does not follow one universal UGA rate. The standard Athens graduate budget for a Georgia resident is $29,184 on campus and $35,494 off campus. The standard resident tuition allowance is $10,124, while nonresident graduate tuition is $31,148.

Professional programs can be very different. The UGA School of Law lists 2026–27 J.D. tuition of $18,240 for Georgia residents and $40,152 for nonresidents, plus $1,494 in fees. Its estimated resident cost of attendance is $39,368 on campus, while a nonresident on-campus student is budgeted at $61,846.

The law-school page also notes that some nonresidents can pay resident tuition by the beginning of the second year and that selected first-year students receive tuition-reduction scholarships. That can make the three-year law-school price much different from multiplying the first-year nonresident rate by three.

Other graduate programs such as the MBA, PharmD, veterinary medicine, and specialized online degrees use separate tuition schedules. A prospective graduate student should use the exact program price rather than UGA’s standard master’s and doctoral average.

Hidden Costs and Payment

Health insurance is not a universal undergraduate charge, but students required to carry the University System plan can face a large extra. UGA’s 2026–27 mandatory student-only premium is $3,142. The voluntary plan costs $4,402. Eligible graduate assistants can receive a university subsidy toward the mandatory premium.

Parking also sits outside the standard tuition figure. Students bringing a car should check current permit rates and availability rather than treating campus transportation fees as parking access. The transportation fee supports campus transit and related services.

Computers can create another one-time expense. UGA’s financial-aid office permits qualified students to request a cost-of-attendance adjustment for computer, printer, or software purchases up to a cumulative $2,500 per degree level when documentation rules are met. That adjustment can increase aid eligibility but does not make the equipment free.

UGA offers a tuition payment plan, but installment arrangements change cash flow rather than the final cost. Missed plan payments can result in withdrawal for the term. Families using installments should keep enough cash available for scheduled drafts after scholarships and aid are credited.

Four-Year Price and Fit

Holding the current on-campus budgets flat for four years gives a resident sticker scenario of $119,680 and a nonresident scenario of $208,624. Those numbers are planning calculations, not forecasts. UGA prices and living expenses can change each year, while scholarships can reduce the actual bill substantially.

A Georgia resident with Zell Miller can strip out $10,134 of current annual standard tuition from that resident budget. HOPE at 15 hours per semester leaves only $100 of that tuition uncovered at today’s rates. Housing, food, fees, books, transportation, and personal costs remain.

Makes sense if

• You qualify for Georgia resident tuition or a substantial nonresident waiver.
• HOPE, Zell Miller, or institutional scholarships cut the tuition portion of the bill.
• You compare actual housing and meal choices rather than relying only on UGA’s standard allowance.

Does not make sense if

• You are assuming the resident price without confirming residency or waiver eligibility.
• You expect HOPE or Zell Miller to pay fees, housing, food, and books.
• A nonresident offer leaves you paying the full $21,670 annual tuition differential and a comparable school offers a much lower net price.

Families comparing university costs can also review Harvard University costs, Boston University costs, and High Point University costs.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does UGA cost per year for a Georgia resident?

UGA’s 2026–27 standard on-campus cost of attendance for a resident undergraduate is $29,920. Tuition itself is $10,134.

How much does UGA cost for an out-of-state student?

The standard on-campus nonresident undergraduate budget is $52,156, including $31,804 of tuition.

Does HOPE pay all UGA tuition?

Not quite at the 2026–27 UGA rate. A student taking 15 hours is charged $5,067 in semester tuition and receives $5,017 from HOPE, leaving $50.

Does Zell Miller cover everything at UGA?

No. Zell Miller covers the standard undergraduate tuition rate but does not cover mandatory fees, housing, food, books, or other living expenses.

How much would four years at UGA cost?

Holding current standard on-campus budgets unchanged gives about $119,680 for a Georgia resident and $208,624 for a nonresident before scholarships and future price changes.