The overall number of degrees awarded by University System of Georgia (USG) institutions in FY2023 increased by 1% over the previous fiscal year, reaching a new all-time high for the system of 75,228 degrees conferred annually.
The number of degrees awarded has risen by 37.1% since USG joined the Complete College America program in 2011 and prioritized increasing degree completion in Georgia. Over the same period, system enrollment increased 5.2%, meaning the rate of awarding degrees continues to far outpace enrollment.
“Our presidents, faculty and staff are focused not only on academics but student success, and that success is helping Georgia maintain its strong reputation as one of the best states in the nation to live and work in,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “Coupled with recent data that show USG graduates will earn over $1 million more during their lifetimes than they would have without their college degree, we offer a good value to Georgians and will keep working to maintain that momentum.”
Among the new data, USG graduate and professional degrees awarded rose to 24,505 — a 10.4% increase over the previous year. During that same period, USG undergraduates earned 50,723 degrees, a 3% decline over FY2022.
Several ongoing USG initiatives have continued to help promote degree completion, including the Momentum Year program, which focuses on the first-year college experience. Other programs include those that use predictive analytics to more quickly alert advisors to lagging student performance and provide “degree roadmaps” to help students avoid spending time and money in courses that do not count toward their degree.
The steady increase since 2011 in the number of degrees awarded also comes as the value of a USG degree has shown to be significant. According to a recent study, USG graduates with at least a bachelor’s degree will earn over $1 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.
To help students and families make informed decisions about college affordability and value, USG last year also launched a website called Georgia Degrees Pay.
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.
