Schools

University's Economic Impact Surpasses $2.1 Billion in 2012

UGA also accounted for more than 22,000 jobs.

The University of Georgia’s economic impact on the Athens-area economy was more than $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2012, and the school accounted for more than 22,000 jobs.

Fiscal year 2012 started July 1, 2011, and ended June 30, 2012. 

The data comes from a recent study by the UGA Selig Center for Economic Growth that examined the impact of all 35 University System of Georgia institutions. UGA’s economic impact on the local economy — which includes Clarke, Oconee, Madison, Oglethorpe, Jackson, Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett counties — was $2.161 billion, an increase of more than 5 percent from 2011. For university system schools, UGA’s impact was second in the state only to Georgia Tech.

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UGA also accounted for 22,196 jobs, which included 9,042 on-campus positions and 13,154 jobs that exist because of UGA spending. The total number of jobs is an 8 percent increase over 2011 and is the most jobs created by a state university.

“The fundamental finding of this study is that each of the University System of Georgia’s institutions creates substantial economic impacts,” Jeff Humphreys, director of the Selig Center in the Terry College of Business, said in a news release. “These economic impacts demonstrate that continued emphasis on higher education as an enduring pillar of the regional economy translates into jobs, higher incomes and greater production of goods and services for local households and businesses.”

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In the 2012 fiscal year, UGA spent $669.5 million in salaries and $393.6 million in operating expenses, a combined increase of 5 percent over 2011. Student spending in the Athens area also increased, from $444.9 million in 2011 to $446.9 million in 2012.


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