Ranking highlights strength of one of the nation’s oldest artificial intelligence graduate programs 

The University of Georgia has been ranked No. 17 on a new list of the top Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence programs in the United States by TechGuide, an educational resource focused on data analytics and computer science. 

TechGuide’s 2026 ranking is based on data reported annually by colleges and universities to the U.S. Department of Education. Metrics include admissions selectivity, class size, faculty support, financial aid, graduation outcomes and total enrollment. 

Established in 1987, UGA’s Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence is one of the nation’s oldest continuously offered graduate AI programs. The degree is housed in the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, an interdisciplinary academic and research unit jointly administered by the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. 

“This new ranking affirms our dedication to advancing our multidimensional programs in AI,” said Anna Stenport, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Science. “AI holds great potential in education and research, and UGA is helping to set the course for future careers. The Institute’s graduates already are leading the way in defining how we use and manage AI.”  

The Institute for Artificial Intelligence offers three interdisciplinary graduate programs and participates in two combined undergraduate/graduate pathways. More than 90 UGA faculty members from 13 schools and colleges are affiliated with the institute. 

"Our Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program reflects UGA’s long history of interdisciplinary research in AI,” said Prashant Doshi, computer science professor and director of UGA’s Institute of Artificial Intelligence. “This competitive ranking is a testament to the significant resources the university and Franklin have invested to ensure the program thrives at a time of great need." 

Students in the master’s AI program work with faculty on research projects ranging from precision agriculture to infectious disease modeling. Graduates leave prepared for leadership in both academia and industry, including in fields once considered far removed from AI. Their work includes monitoring endangered species using computer vision, advancing pharmaceutical discovery, optimizing athletic performance, improving agricultural yields, and forecasting extreme weather. 

The ranking comes as UGA continues to expand its strategic investments in AI and data science, including the Presidential Interdisciplinary Faculty Hiring Initiative in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Completed in 2024, the initiative enabled the university to recruit 70 faculty members whose work applies AI and data science to challenges in Georgia and beyond. 

UGA also established the Leadership Council on AI to guide campus efforts around artificial intelligence and created a central online hub for AI resources and guidance, available at aihub.uga.edu, in 2024. 

The same year, the Georgia Advanced Computing Resource Center deployed innovative, in-demand equipment to its high-performance computing cluster to further expand services for UGA researchers utilizing AI. This $2.4 million investment supports research computing needs for faculty members in a range of disciplines, including artificial intelligence, data science, and bioinformatics. 

In 2025, UGA joined the NextGenAI consortium, a partnership with 14 other leading research institutions and technology company OpenAI to accelerate AI research and education. Most recently, the university expanded the suite of AI tools available to students, staff, and faculty.