University of North Georgia
On the 8th of January 1873, North Georgia Agricultural College opened its doors in Dahlonega with exactly 177 students. The first class included 98 males and 79 females, making it the first coeducational college in the state of Georgia. William Pierce Price, a local congressman, used funds from the Morrill Act to establish this branch of the University of Georgia's College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts. Classes were held inside the old U.S. Mint building that had been shut down during the Civil War. In 1876, the institution received the power to grant degrees. Four students graduated in 1879, three men and one woman. This made North Georgia the first public institution in the state to award a degree to a female student.
The University System of Georgia approved the consolidation of two institutions on the 10th of January 2012. North Georgia College & State University merged with Gainesville State College to form the new University of North Georgia. The merger officially took effect in January 2013. Gainesville State College had originally been founded as Gainesville Junior College in Oakwood, Georgia, in 1964. It began holding classes in 1966 as a two-year college with an open-access mission. The school later opened branch campuses in Watkinsville and Cumming. The Cumming campus was initially called University Center 400 before being renamed in January 2013. A new Blue Ridge campus opened on the 13th of August 2015, offering dual-enrollment options for high school students and programs for adult learners.
Over 600 students participate in the university's Reserve Officers' Training Corps program each year. UNG is designated as one of six senior military colleges in the United States. The institution holds the official title "The Military College of Georgia" from both the Georgia Board of Regents and the Georgia General Assembly. The U.S. Army ROTC program has been active on the Dahlonega campus since 1916. The National Defense Act of 1916 created the ROTC system that established the military presence felt on campus today. The Golden Eagle Band formed as part of the Corps in 1873 and performs at military reviews rather than athletic events. The Blue Ridge Rifles drill platoon unit won first place in the East Tennessee State University Drill Meet in 1971. They also became national champion precision drill teams in 2001 and 2002.
The university offers over one hundred bachelor's and associate degrees through five distinct colleges. There are thirteen master's degree programs available to graduate students. A single doctoral degree program rounds out the academic offerings. As a state-designated leadership institution, UNG is the only university in Georgia to offer a minor in leadership. The school serves as a flagship ROTC Center in Chinese to help cadets become proficient in language and culture. Undergraduates can choose from 129 associate and baccalaureate degrees plus pre-professional and certificate programs. The Dahlonega campus focuses on Baccalaureate and graduate programs while offering Pre-Professional Programs exclusively. Gainesville Campus provides a smaller number of baccalaureate programs mostly related to education or business. Associate degrees are offered at both the Gainesville and Oconee campuses.
Dahlonega campus sits approximately an hour's drive from downtown Atlanta and an hour and a half drive from downtown Athens. Price Memorial Hall was constructed in 1879 upon the former site of the Dahlonega Mint. Its gold-leafed steeple remains one of the most striking features of the UNG skyline. Much of the campus developed around William J. Livsey Drill Field known simply as "the Drill Field." On the 18th of April 2009, the drill field was dedicated to retired General William J. Livsey. The Gainesville campus lies within city limits of Oakwood but retains its association with Gainesville. It has no on-campus dormitories though student-friendly apartments and town-homes exist adjacent to the campus. The Blue Ridge campus opened in August 2015 to offer classes for first-time freshmen and adult learners.
As of Fall 2023, the university enrolled 18,219 undergraduate students with a gender distribution of 44% male and 56% female. Seventy percent of students attend full time while thirty percent are part-time or non-traditional. Out of 7,541 undergraduates at the Dahlonega campus, 36% live in college-owned housing. A permanent residing student body of roughly 2,500 lives there during fall and spring semesters. Approximately 32% of students at the Gainesville and Oconee campuses come from Hall and Oconee counties respectively. Twenty-nine percent of students at the Gainesville campus are twenty-three years of age or older. Five percent of men and ten percent of women undergraduate students are active members of fraternities and sororities as of 2019. More than 200 student organizations operate across the Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Oconee campuses.
Common questions
When did North Georgia Agricultural College open its doors in Dahlonega?
North Georgia Agricultural College opened on the 8th of January 1873 with exactly 177 students. The first class included 98 males and 79 females, making it the first coeducational college in the state of Georgia.
Who established North Georgia Agricultural College using funds from the Morrill Act?
William Pierce Price, a local congressman, used funds from the Morrill Act to establish this branch of the University of Georgia's College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts. Classes were held inside the old U.S. Mint building that had been shut down during the Civil War.
What year did the University System of Georgia approve the consolidation of two institutions into the University of North Georgia?
The University System of Georgia approved the consolidation of two institutions on the 10th of January 2012. North Georgia College & State University merged with Gainesville State College to form the new University of North Georgia.
Why is the University of North Georgia designated as one of six senior military colleges in the United States?
Over 600 students participate in the university's Reserve Officers' Training Corps program each year. The institution holds the official title The Military College of Georgia from both the Georgia Board of Regents and the Georgia General Assembly.
How many bachelor's and associate degrees does the University of North Georgia offer through its five distinct colleges?
The university offers over one hundred bachelor's and associate degrees through five distinct colleges. Undergraduates can choose from 129 associate and baccalaureate degrees plus pre-professional and certificate programs.