Georgia College & State University “generated over $360 million in total economic impact throughout Central Georgia” in 2025, according to a school press release.
The Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia has conducted the study for a number of years.
The study, according to its methodology, includes “the initial round of spending and the secondary, or indirect and induced spending referred to as the multiplier effect – that occurs when the initial expenditures are re-spent.”
GCSU’s undergraduate enrollment traditionally has been in the 5,000s. In 2024, however, it jumped from 5,681 to 6,006.
Undergraduate enrollment then grew again in 2025, when the number was placed at 6,250. The university this month welcomed the largest freshman class in its 135-year history.
So, how many people work at GCSU? The press release didn’t offer an exact number, but it did state that “about 1,000 workers from the region (are) employed on campus.”
Salaries in higher education continue to rise. In 2025, a total of 67 GCSU employees had a salary of at least $125,000, according to open.georgia.gov.
In 2021, there were 28 employees with a salary of at least $125,000.
Also, 158 GCSU employees had a salary of at least $100,000 in 2025, which compares to 108 in 2021.
GCSU also used the press release to tout the value of a college degree. “Bachelor’s degree holders are shown to earn $1.4 million more, on average, than their peers without a college education, according to the study. Master’s degree holders earn roughly $1.7 million more and those who hold professional or doctoral degrees earn $2.4-2.8 million more,” according to the press release.