ATHENS, GA — A Georgia college has been named among the top schools in the United States for developing leaders.

The University of Georgia ranked No. 47 overall among private and public institutions, however, it is ranked No. 17 in the nation among public institutions for its role in shaping influential leaders across the United States, according to Time magazine’s Best Colleges for Future Leaders 2026 rankings. It also ranked No. 4 among schools in the Southeastern Conference and ranked as the No. 1 public institution in Georgia.

Time Magazine says the rankings are based on the analysis of 4,800 influential leaders looking at their educational background.

"Researchers built detailed profiles from publicly available sources, identifying more than 20,000 educational and professional milestones — excluding current positions and honorary roles — to understand which colleges most often appear along leaders’ trajectories," University of Georgia officials said.

UGA is ranked No. 1 for state schools on the list, which particularly mentions the Terry College of Business; it has an institute for leadership advancement which blends coursework with real-world experience.

UGA was recently ranked No. 1 nationally for short-term study abroad in the 2025 Open Doors Report and placed No. 9 in new college rankings highlighted by The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, UGA officials added.