Kennesaw State University had a $1.4 billion impact on the regional economy during the last year, the school announced Tuesday.
A study reviewed the statewide impact of the University System of Georgia, which came out to $16.8 billion. Last year that number was $15.5 billion.
The Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business conducted the study, which looked at data from July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016.
The study defined the impact area of KSU - which has about 35,000 students - as all of metro Atlanta, not just Cobb County.
For some perspective on KSU's $1.4 billion: Georgia Gwinnett College had an impact of $451 million, and Georgia Tech's was $3 billion.
Initial spending by KSU on personnel costs like salaries and fringe benefits, operating expenses and other budgeted expenses, along with spending by students attending the institutions, account for most of the impact by totaling $862,415,345.
The analysis shows that KSU created 12,933 full- and part-time jobs. 3,664 of those were on campus and 9,269 were off campus in either private or public sectors.
“It’s so gratifying to know that as the university works to fulfill its primary mission on behalf of our students,” university president Sam Olens said in a news release. “It is also playing such an important role in keep the region moving and growing.”
In other city news ... Kennesaw to state: Let us decide what to do with our Confederate flag
