As summer winds down, students across Georgia began preparing for a return to campus life, with class start dates staggered across August. Check out the list below for when some Georgia and metro Atlanta college students return to campus.
University of Georgia (UGA, Athens)
UGA officially opened classes on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. The add/drop window ran from August 13 to August 19. Labor Day was observed on Monday, September 1 during the semester
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech, Atlanta)
Classes for the fall semester kicked off on Monday, August 18, 2025, with the add/drop period closing on that same Friday, **August 22**the last day to register or make schedule changes without a “W” grade
Georgia State University (GSU, Atlanta)
GSU’s official calendar for Fall 2025 set the start of full-semester courses on Monday, August 25, 2025, running through December 8, with final exams from December 9–16.
Emory University (Atlanta)
Classes began for regular Fall semesters on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. The add/drop period opened as early as August 13, and closed by September 10. Labor Day fell on September 1; fall break was October 13–14.
Spelman College (Atlanta)
This historically Black liberal arts college began fall classes on Wednesday, August 20, 2025. New student orientation ran August 13–19, and registration closed on August 19, with late registration starting August 21 and ending August 29,
Back-to-school tips:
Double‑check add/drop windows, especially important for last-minute schedule tweaks.
Plan around major holidays: Labor Day fell on September 1 for most campuses, and many observed a fall break in mid‑October.
Orientation is key: Each campus offered different orientation schedules, so be sure your students attended and registered early.