At GSC, initial spending was valued at $78,688,744, generating an output impact of $125,439,845. The USG also reported in its findings that the value-added impact of GSC was $87,118,425.

“Gordon State College is proud to shape the future of central Georgia through the success of our students,” said Donald J. Green, Ed.D., GSC president. “When our graduates excel, they strengthen the workforce, inspire innovation and contribute to the prosperity of our communities. And when our graduates move forward, Georgia moves forward with them.”

Through strategic initiatives that emphasize workforce development and student success, Highlander Nation generated 242 on-campus jobs and 700 off-campus jobs. A study by Jeffrey M. Humphreys, Ph.D., director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, found that each job created on campus supports two additional jobs in the local community.

The data also show that USG and its institutions have an employment impact in Georgia comparable to that of the state’s top five employers combined.

USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said a degree from one of USG’s 26 public colleges and universities is “a million-dollar deal for graduates and a billion-dollar boost for Georgia,” noting that students gain higher earnings and better opportunities while institutions strengthen the state’s economy and communities.

A companion study found that each credential adds to a USG graduate’s lifetime earnings. For example, a bachelor’s degree generates more than $1.4 million in increased earnings. The analysis showed that the 73,006 graduates from the Class of 2024 can expect combined lifetime earnings of $230 billion, based on Georgia’s work-life earnings estimates. The report also noted that high school graduates who earn a bachelor’s degree in Georgia will see an 82% increase in their work-life earnings, surpassing the national average of 80%.