No salary increases for Georgia’s university presidents
Presidents of Georgia’s public universities won’t be taking home any extra cash this upcoming year.
In a Tuesday vote during executive session, the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents chose to keep presidential salaries flat for fiscal year 2027, system officials told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. When the board met this time last year, they chose to give the presidents pay raises.
Tuesday’s decision follows a year where the USG enrolled and graduated more students than ever, defying predictions from experts who warn of a looming “enrollment cliff” nationally. But it also comes after a springtime budget battle where the state Senate attempted to cut USG funding by $123 million.
Keeping presidential salaries at their current level “maintains institutional momentum while prioritizing responsible stewardship and student success,” the USG said in a statement to the AJC.
The decision means that Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera will remain the highest-paid leader in the system. Tech boasts the largest enrollment in the state, with roughly 56,700 students attending last fall. In addition to his nearly $1.2 million compensation, Cabrera will get another $250,000 from Tech’s foundation after meeting certain employment and performance standards.
Tech’s high enrollment is most closely rivaled by Georgia State University and its more than 53,000 students. GSU President Brian Blake’s compensation package is the third-highest in the system, coming in at roughly $967,000.
He remains outpaced by University of Georgia President Jere Morehead. The president of the state’s flagship public university since 2013, Morehead makes just over $1 million in total compensation.
Augusta University President Russell Keen makes $621,000. While his school has much lower enrollment than the USG’s other research universities, it is home to the Medical College of Georgia, the state’s only public medical school.
Kennesaw State University’s Kathy Schwaig is slated to make roughly $513,000 in compensation. Although KSU enrolls more than 51,000 students compared to less than 30,000 at Georgia Southern University, last year, Schwaig was jumped by Southern President Kyle Marrero. He makes roughly $600,000 to oversee Georgia Southern, which now includes East Georgia State College; the two schools were consolidated at the beginning of this school year.
This time last year, college presidents were treated to salary bumps, a decision the USG said would “help retain some of the best public college and university presidents in the South and in the nation.”
On Tuesday, Chancellor Sonny Perdue, who is retiring later this year, said the USG needs to be more vocal about the results it produces for Georgians.
“Our institutions create the same employment impact in the state as Georgia’s top five employers combined,” he said, adding that the USG contributes an estimated $23.1 billion to the Georgia economy.
He also said he’s told the USG presidents to conduct “zero-based budgeting,” a financial process wherein every expense must be justified every period. Perdue said that’s been on the Georgia Legislature’s mind, “and we need to be mindful that it’s on their mind.” The system’s Board of Regents voted last month to raise tuition this fall by 1% for in-state students and 3% for international students.
“Therefore, the best thing we can do now in our institution is to know our costs, know our prices, and know our margins. That’s the formula for business success,” he said. Perdue added that he looks forward to working with a Senate study committee this summer and fall “in order to let them know, and citizens of Georgia know, of the value they’re getting from the university system.”
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