VALDOSTA – Valdosta State University generated $412.5 million in economic impact during Fiscal Year 2025 while supporting 3,472 jobs across the region.
Release:
VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University generated an estimated $412.5 million in total economic impact during Fiscal Year 2025, according to a new study conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.
The total represents a $27.3 million increase over the previous year and includes the creation of 3,472 jobs both on and off campus.
The findings were published as part of a 25-page report to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and highlight VSU’s economic role in Valdosta-Lowndes County and its expanded host region of Berrien, Brooks, Cook, Echols and Lanier counties.
“VSU is more than a place where students learn and prepare for their careers,” university President Dr. Donald J. Green said. “We are an economic powerhouse for the Valdosta-Lowndes County area, a place we have called home for more than a century. Our $412.5 million economic impact is measured not only in dollars but also in jobs created, businesses supported, opportunities expanded, families strengthened, and communities made more resilient because VSU is here.”
VSU contributes to the local and regional economy through student spending, personnel services and everyday university operations.
Thousands of students spend money on housing, food, transportation, retail and other services. Faculty and staff earn and spend wages that circulate through the local economy.
Day-to-day university operations, including purchasing goods and services and maintaining campus grounds and facilities, also send additional dollars to businesses and workers across VSU’s host area.
University officials said VSU’s economic impact extends beyond direct spending.
VSU strengthens its host communities by offering academic programs designed to meet the changing needs of employers, fostering innovation and helping attract businesses and investments that benefit from access to an educated talent pool.
Through those connections, the university serves as both a center of higher education and an economic anchor contributing to the growth and long-term development of the Valdosta-Lowndes County area.
“Our greatest contribution to this area may be the people we prepare to lead, serve, innovate, and build a future here,” Green said. “Every student who chooses to study at VSU and every partnership we forge is an investment in our area’s economic capacity. The impact of that investment compounds over time as our students graduate, build careers, and reinvest their talent and resources into the communities they call home.”
The full Economic Impact of University System of Georgia Institutions on Their Regional Economies in Fiscal Year 2025 report is available through the University System of Georgia.
Additional information about Valdosta State University is available at valdosta.edu.
