Report gauges economic impact of UNG

A new report places the economic impact of the University of North Georgia at $723 million during fiscal year 2019.

From UNG…

“These reports reaffirm the extensive and positive impact UNG makes on our communities and for the futures of our students,” President Bonita C. Jacobs said. “We continue to expand access to higher education and produce graduates who are globally competitive for a vast array of careers and service opportunities. At the same time, we continue to create jobs for thousands who serve our students and the communities in northeast Georgia.”

Included in UNG’s economic impact is $285 million in spending by about 20,000 students, which alone created 3,279 jobs in the area. On average, for every dollar spent by the university, an additional 47 cents is generated for the region.

The study area for UNG was Barrow, Clarke, Dawson, Fannin, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Oconee, Union, and White counties. These counties are where UNG campuses are located or contiguous communities. Study areas for each school in the report were defined based on the Residence County to Workplace County Flows for Georgia, 2009-2013 from the U.S. Census Bureau.

UNG, which has campuses in Blue Ridge, Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Oconee County, also had a regional employment impact of 6,563 jobs in the same period. The employment impact includes on-campus and off-campus jobs. The report noted that on average, for each job created on campus, two off-campus jobs exist because of spending related to the institution.

As a whole, all USG public colleges and universities in 2019 had a statewide impact of $18.5 billion, an almost 4.5% increase from the previous year.

“USG and our 26 institutions play a critically important role in local economies all across Georgia,” USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley said. “At the same time, a college degree has never been more essential to success in the workforce and for our state’s economic future. As Georgia’s public college and university system, USG remains committed to improving on the state’s investment in higher education and carrying out our ultimate mission to prepare students for life and work with a college degree.”

Cox Media Group