Ga. colleges have $12B impact on state, cities

ATLANTA - A new study shows the state's public colleges and universities have more than a $12 billion impact on Georgia.

Among institutions in the Gainesville area, the study shows that the University of Georgia has an economic impact of $2.2 billion; North Georgia College & State University, $164.6 million; Gainesville State College, $180.1 million; and Georgia Gwinnett College $57.3 million. The economic impact that Georgia Tech has is put at $2.047 billion by the report.

The study by the University of Georgia's Selig Center for Economic Growth is done annually.

The report released Wednesday shows that the 35 institutions in the University System of Georgia are responsible directly or indirectly for 108,405 jobs in the state, or about 2.6 percent of all jobs in Georgia. The report found that for every dollar spent by a college or university, an additional 51 cents was generated for the local economy of the city where the campus is based.

The economic impact total includes $8 billion in direct spending by campuses and $4.1 million in re-spending as the money filters into the economy.

(AccessNorthGa.com's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)