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Kennesaw State Economic Impact Largest Among USG State Universities

Kennesaw State University's regional economic impact rose to more than $926 million in FY 2012.

Kennesaw State University’s regional economic impact rose to more than $926 million in FY 2012, according to the University System of Georgia’s most recent economic impact report y. 

More than 24,600 students now attend the University — just over 3,000 of them living on campus in one of the four residential housing communities constructed since 2002. 

Over that same time, several new multi-million dollar facilities and building additions have been constructed on the campus, including: classroom, laboratory and research facilities for Kennesaw State’s colleges of Social Sciences, Health and Human Services, and Science and Mathematics; a new performance hall; an 88-acre student recreation and athletic complex and 8,500-seat stadium; a new campus dining hall, new residence halls, and a new parking deck. 

Construction is currently underway for a $20 million addition to the Bagwell College of Education, the new $3 million Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art, and a $6 million renovation and expansion of the Horace W. Sturgis Library.

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In addition, plans are underway to begin construction on the $38.7 million Dr. Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activities Center.  

According to the report released this week by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State’s FY 2012 economic impact on the 28-county Atlanta metropolitan region was up 8.5 percent from $854 million in FY 2011.

The overall economic impact of the 31-unit university system on the state’s economy in FY 2012 was $14.1 billion. Most of Kennesaw State’s $926 million economic impact — the largest among state universities in the USG — consists of initial spending by Kennesaw State for salaries and fringe benefits, operating supplies and expenses and other budgeted expenditures, as well as spending by students.

Initial spending by Kennesaw State and its students equaled $567 million, or nearly 61 percent of the total output impact.

The remaining $359 million of the output impact was created by re-spending – the multiplier effect of the dollars that are spent again in the region.

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The USG study was conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, which analyzed data collected between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012, to calculate the university’s economic impact.

Last year, Kennesaw State generated 8,324 jobs. This year, it generated 8,788 jobs – a 5.6 percent increase. 

“I think this increase demonstrates healthy growth given the fact that Georgia’s overall economy is producing jobs at a 1.5 percent rate,” said Jeffrey M. Humphreys, director of the Selig Center. “The rate of job growth associated with Kennesaw State is much higher than what we’re seeing statewide, in terms of employment.”


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