The UGA Terry MBA, the full-time MBA at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, is ranked No. 25 by U.S. News (2026 edition) and is one of the cheaper top-25 options for international students: nonresident tuition for 2026-27 is $18,000 a semester, or $36,000 for the fall and spring terms. The Class of 2027 averaged 641 on the GMAT and 315 on the GRE, and about one in five students is international.
Round 1 closed on 10 October 2026, so your Deadline is Round 2 on 10 January 2027, the round Terry recommends for international applicants. Round 3 on 10 March 2027 is the last round open to you, and it is also the round Terry recommends for merit scholarships and full-tuition assistantships. This guide covers the Terry MBA requirements, English rules, essays, interview, costs, salary data and the common mistakes.
UGA Terry MBA at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Programme | Full-Time MBA (2-Year MBA and an MBA-MSBA STEM track), Athens |
| U.S. News rank | No. 25, 2026 Best Business Schools (released April 2026) |
| Class of 2027 size | 78 students |
| International students | 21% |
| Average GMAT / GRE | 641 / 315 |
| Average GPA | 3.50 |
| Average work experience | 3.75 years |
| Application fee | $100 |
| Nonresident tuition 2026-27 | $18,000 per semester (12+ credit hours) |
| STEM | MBA-MSBA track is STEM-certified |
| Employed at 3 months (Class of 2025) | 92% |
| Average starting salary (Class of 2025) | $121,000 |
UGA Terry MBA ranking
U.S. News placed Terry No. 25 for full-time MBA programmes in its 2026 Best Business Schools list, released in April 2026. Terry’s own programme page also cites the Financial Times ranking it No. 1 globally for value for money in 2025, which matches its low nonresident tuition.
UGA Terry MBA class profile and acceptance rate
| Class of 2027 metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Students who enrolled in fall 2025 | 78 |
| Average GMAT | 641 |
| Average GRE | 315 |
| Average undergraduate GPA | 3.50 |
| International | 21% |
| Women | 32% |
| U.S. minorities | 21% |
| Military background | 14% |
| Average work experience | 3.75 years |
These figures were reported by Clear Admit in September 2025. Terry’s admissions page links to a class profile but does not list the numbers in its text, and Terry does not publish an acceptance rate. The average experience of under four years is lower than at most schools in this ranking band, so Terry is a realistic option if you have two to four years of work.
UGA Terry MBA requirements for international students
- A bachelor’s degree. Terry expects a 3.0 GPA but accepts applicants below it, who should explain with the optional statement.
- Two years of full-time professional experience after the bachelor’s degree, strongly preferred for the 2-Year MBA and the MBA-MSBA STEM track.
- A one-page resume in reverse chronological order.
- Two letters of recommendation, preferably from professional recommenders.
- Unofficial transcripts from every institution where you earned college credit. Official copies are needed only after admission.
- Self-reported GMAT, GRE or Executive Assessment scores. There is no minimum.
- Self-reported TOEFL or IELTS if required.
- Three short written responses, plus an optional response.
- An optional video essay.
- The $100 application fee.
English requirements
You need TOEFL or IELTS if you earned your degree from a non-U.S. institution in a country where English is not the primary or official language. Read that carefully. If your degree is from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda or another country where English is an official language, the rule as written does not require a test. Confirm with Terry admissions before you skip it.
| Test | Preferred minimum |
|---|---|
| TOEFL | 5.0 overall for tests taken on or after 22 January 2026; 100 for tests taken before 21 January 2026 |
| IELTS | 7.0 overall band |
Terry calls these preferred minimums. It does not list Duolingo or PTE. International applicants must submit TOEFL or IELTS even if they receive a GMAT/GRE waiver, where the test is required.
GMAT and GRE waivers
Terry decides waivers case by case. You need at least one core criterion: two years of full-time U.S. military service, two years of relevant and progressive full-time professional work, or current enrolment in another UGA graduate programme. You also need at least one more: a strong record from an accredited U.S. institution, an advanced degree, a quantitative certification such as CPA or CFA, or strong analytical coursework. Terry notes that a strong test score helps with assistantship and scholarship consideration, so I would sit the test if you want funding.
UGA Terry MBA deadlines 2026-2027
All deadlines are 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
| Round | Application deadline | Decisions | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 (closed) | 10 October 2026 | 4 December 2026 | Early rounds advised for merit awards |
| Round 2 | 10 January 2027 | 19 March 2027 | Recommended for international students |
| Round 3 | 10 March 2027 | 7 May 2027 | Final round for international students; recommended for merit scholarships and full-tuition assistantships |
| Round 4 | 10 May 2027 | 4 June 2027 | Final round for all applicants, domestic only in practice |
After Round 4, Terry reviews applications on a rolling basis until the class is full.
International applicants
Terry recommends Round 2 (10 January 2027) for international students and closes international applications after Round 3 (10 March 2027). A Round 2 decision on 19 March gives you more time for the I-20 and F-1 visa.
How to apply, step by step
- Check the English rule: Decide whether your degree country requires TOEFL or IELTS, and book a test if it does.
- Take the GMAT, GRE or EA, or prepare a waiver case.
- Upload unofficial transcripts from every institution where you earned credit.
- Brief two professional recommenders early.
- Write the three short responses (250 words each) and, if useful, the optional response.
- Record the optional video essay (two minutes) if you speak well on camera.
- Submit with the $100 fee by 11:59 p.m. ET on 10 January 2027.
- Interview if invited: Virtual for international applicants, or in person on a Campus Visit Day.
- After admission: Send official transcripts and scores, and start the I-20 process with proof of funds.
UGA Terry MBA essays 2026-2027
| Response | Prompt (summary) | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Short response 1 | Your short-term post-MBA career goals, how your past experiences shaped them, and how they link to your long-term aspirations | 250 words |
| Short response 2 | A challenge or initiative that required persistence, and what kept you engaged | 250 words |
| Short response 3 | Something classmates would not learn from your resume or application, and why it matters to you | 250 words |
| Optional response | Information not shown elsewhere in your application | 250 words |
| Optional video essay | Prompts given in the application | 2 minutes |
Response 1: career goals
Lead with the job: function, industry and type of employer. Then give one experience that pushed you toward it and one line on the longer-term aim. With 250 words, you cannot tell your whole career, so pick the single most relevant moment.
For illustration: “My short-term goal is a product marketing role at a U.S. consumer goods company, a direction I chose after launching a sachet product line that reached 300 retailers in Kano.”
Response 2: persistence
Choose a story with a long timeline and setbacks: a project that failed twice before it worked, a certification you passed on the third attempt, a community programme you kept running. Spend more words on what kept you going than on the problem.
For illustration: “Our warehouse system rollout failed its first two go-live dates, and by the third attempt I was the only person on the team who still wanted to lead it.”
Response 3: what your resume does not show
This is your chance to sound like a person. A family responsibility, a hobby with real commitment, a language or a cultural tradition all work, as long as you say why it matters to you.
For illustration: “Every Saturday since secondary school I have refereed youth football matches, and I have learned more about calm decision-making there than in any training.”
Optional response and video
Use the optional response for a GPA below 3.0, a gap or a short work history. Terry explicitly invites applicants below 3.0 to explain. Record the video only if you can do it well; a weak video does not help.
The Terry MBA interview
Interviews are by invitation after Terry reviews your application. International applicants can interview virtually. Domestic candidates can attend a Campus Visit Day, which includes a face-to-face interview with an Admissions Committee member, lunch with students and a class visit. Prepare your goals in two minutes, two or three leadership examples, and a clear answer to “why Terry and why Athens”.
What the admissions committee looks for
From Terry’s own requirements and prompts, the committee looks for:
- Readiness for the quantitative work, shown through test scores, coursework or certifications.
- Progressive professional experience, ideally two years or more.
- Short-term goals that grow out of your past experience.
- Persistence, which is the subject of a full response.
- A personality and interests that add to a class of under 100 students.
UGA Terry MBA tuition and cost 2026-2027
The University of Georgia bursar lists tuition for the “Master in Business Administration (MBA Athens)” at 12 or more credit hours per semester.
| Tuition, fall 2026 and spring 2027 | Per semester | Fall plus spring |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia residents | $7,032 | $14,064 |
| Nonresidents (international) | $18,000 | $36,000 |
University mandatory fees are charged per semester on top of tuition and are listed on a separate bursar page. Terry’s admissions page does not show a full cost of attendance with living costs, so ask admissions for the official international budget used for the I-20.
Costs not covered by tuition
- University mandatory fees each semester.
- Housing, food, health insurance and transport in Athens.
- Any summer term costs.
- Test, application, SEVIS and visa fees, plus flights.
- Funds for dependants if your family is coming.
UGA Terry MBA scholarships and assistantships for international students
Terry says full-time MBA students have strong funding opportunities, such as merit-based scholarships and graduate assistantships, some of which cover full tuition. Its deadline table points applicants seeking merit awards to the earlier rounds, and names Round 3 as the recommended round for merit scholarships and full-tuition assistantships.
What Terry does not publish is just as important. Its admissions page does not state award amounts, how many students receive them, or whether international students are eligible for every award. Ask admissions directly in writing before you plan your finances around an assistantship, and ask whether an assistantship changes your tuition rate.
Terry does not mention Prodigy Finance or MPOWER on the pages I checked. For other funding, see our guide to American scholarships for international students.
STEM designation and OPT
Terry describes its MBA-MSBA track, which gives you both an MBA and a Master of Science in Business Analytics in two years, as STEM-certified. That is the route to eligibility for the 24-month STEM OPT extension on top of 12 months of standard OPT. Terry’s pages do not say the standalone MBA is STEM-designated, so if you plan to work in the U.S. for more than a year after graduation, ask about the MBA-MSBA track when you apply.
UGA Terry MBA salary and employment
From Terry’s Class of 2025 Full-Time MBA employment statistics:
- 92% employed three months after graduation. Terry’s programme page quotes 95% for the same measure, so treat the range as 92% to 95%.
- Average starting salary: $121,000. Terry does not publish an overall median.
- Average signing bonus: $29,000.
- Average total compensation: $150,000.
| Industry (Class of 2025) | Share |
|---|---|
| Financial services | 24% |
| Technology | 15% |
| Consulting services | 12% |
| Retail | 12% |
| Manufacturing | 9% |
By function, consulting led at 32%, followed by marketing and sales at 21%, and finance and accounting and operations and logistics at 18% each. Terry does not name top employers on that report or split outcomes by citizenship.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Skipping the English test without checking. The rule depends on the official language of the country where you earned your degree.
- Applying in Round 4, which is closed to international students.
- Requesting a test waiver and still expecting an assistantship. Terry says a strong score supports funding decisions.
- Writing three versions of the same career story across the three responses.
- Assuming the standalone MBA gives STEM OPT. Only the MBA-MSBA track is described as STEM-certified.
- Budgeting with tuition only and forgetting mandatory fees and living costs.
Who should apply to UGA Terry, and who shouldn’t
Apply if you want a top-25 MBA at a low nonresident tuition, have two to five years of experience, and are interested in consulting, finance, marketing or operations roles in the U.S. Southeast. The MBA-MSBA STEM track makes Terry worth a close look if you want analytics skills and longer OPT.
Think twice if you want a big international community (21% of the Class of 2027), need clear published scholarship figures before applying, or want a big-city base during the programme.
Terry vs peer MBA programmes
| School | U.S. News 2026 | Avg GMAT | Nonresident tuition 2026-27 | International share | Round 2 deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGA Terry | No. 25 | 641 (Class of 2027) | $36,000 a year ($18,000 a semester) | 21% | 10 January 2027 |
| Emory Goizueta | No. 23 | Not published | $79,200 a year | 40% | 6 January 2027 |
| Indiana Kelley | No. 21 | 618 (Class of 2028) | $55,695 a year | 39% | 5 January 2027 |
| UT Dallas Jindal | No. 23 | Not published for current cohort | $65,607 for the 18-month programme ($36,118 at resident rate with scholarship) | 37% | 8 January 2027 |
FAQ
What GMAT score do I need for the UGA Terry MBA?
Terry has no minimum score. The Class of 2027 averaged 641 on the GMAT and 315 on the GRE, and Terry also accepts the Executive Assessment.
Do I need IELTS or TOEFL for the UGA Terry MBA?
Only if your degree is from a non-U.S. institution in a country where English is not the primary or official language. Graduates from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya, where English is official, are not required to test under that wording, but confirm with admissions.
How much is the UGA MBA tuition for international students?
Nonresident tuition for 2026-27 is $18,000 per semester at 12 or more credit hours, or $36,000 for fall and spring. Mandatory university fees and living costs are extra.
What is the UGA Terry MBA deadline for international students?
The Deadline is Round 2 on 10 January 2027, which Terry recommends for international applicants. Round 3 on 10 March 2027 is the final round for international students.
Sources and updates
Facts are from Terry College’s Full-Time MBA admissions page (2026-27 deadlines, requirements, English policy, essays and interviews), the Full-Time MBA programme page, and the Class of 2025 Full-Time MBA employment statistics. Tuition is from the University of Georgia Bursar’s Tuition and Fees Fiscal 26-27 page. Class of 2027 figures are from Clear Admit’s “Real Humans of the University of Georgia Terry College of Business MBA Class of 2027” (17 September 2025). The ranking is from U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools (released 7 April 2026), as reported by Poets&Quants and Clear Admit. Checked on 29 October 2026.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
