Georgia Highlands Economic Impact Nears $150 Million

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- The University System of Georgia recently released the system's total economic impact on the state of Georgia. Of the more than $16 billion reported by USG as a whole, Georgia Highlands College’s contribution was over $149 million.

The report released by the state system is for fiscal year 2016, and is conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. GHC's economic impact came out to be $149.4 million, which represents a nearly $17 million increase from the fiscal year 2015 report.

For Georgia Highlands, this "means the college has increased its impact by more than $30 million since the fiscal year 2013 report," it said in its announcement.

The University System’s economic impact grew $1.3 billion, an increase of 8 percent, from fiscal year 2015 to 2016. The increase is attributed to “spending by the institution and spending by the students who attend that particular college or university.” On average, for every dollar spent by the university, an additional 52 cents is generated for that institution’s region (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

“The university system is committed to its role in supporting and advancing the economic growth of the state of Georgia,” said Chancellor Steve Wrigley. “These numbers reflect the hard work and support of Georgians across the state, and we hope to continue to drive innovation, workforce development and job creation for years to come.”

The economic impact of the system is a measure of direct and indirect spending that contributes to the regions served by its colleges and universities. To calculate the economic impact for fiscal year 16, the Selig Center analyzed data collected between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016. The annual study is conducted on behalf of the Board of Regents by Jeffrey M. Humphreys, Ph.D., director of the Selig Center.

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The full study with data for all USG institutions is available here. If you want a more detailed look to compare the figures among various fiscal years, you can review current and past economic impact studies online.

Image via Georgia Highlands College