The University of Georgia, a land-grant and sea-grant university with state-wide commitments and responsibilities, is the state's flagship institution of higher education. Among Georgia colleges, it is the oldest, most comprehensive and most diversified institution of higher education. Its motto, "to teach, to serve and to inquire into the nature of things," reflects the university's integral and unique role in the conservation and enhancement of the state's and nation's intellectual, cultural and environmental heritage.

The University of Georgia attracts students nationally and internationally as well as from within Georgia, making a popular choice among Georgia universities. It offers the state's broadest array of possibilities in graduate and professional education, and thus a large minority of the student body is post-baccalaureate. The predominantly Georgian undergraduate student body is a mix of highly qualified students originally admitted as freshmen and selected transfer students principally from other University System institutions.

The University of Georgia encompasses 15 schools and colleges that offer a wide range of educational opportunities. University of Georgia's oldest college -- the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences -- was founded in 1801. The most recent are the College of Environment and Design, the School of Public and International Affairs, and the College of Public Health.