Augusta University adds nearly $3 billion, 21,000 jobs to Georgia economy

Augusta University and AU Health provided a $2.94 billion boost to the state economy in fiscal year 2022, including employing 21,250 people, according to a new report from the University System of Georgia.

The impact includes $40.2 million and 286 jobs added by the AU/UGA Medical Partnership’s Athens Campus, while the Albany (Southwest Campus), Savannah and Brunswick (Southeast Campus) and Rome and Dalton (Northwest Campus) clinical campuses added approximately $8.6 million in economic boost, along with 69 jobs.

“Augusta University and AU Health are not only leaders in education, research and patient care – we are also proud of the economic impact our campuses provide in the Augusta region and throughout Georgia,” said Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel, PhD. “We are grateful for all our students, faculty and staff who help us fulfill our mission as the state’s leading university in health sciences, cyber sciences and improving the future success of students, and we look forward to continuing to add value to the lives of our fellow Georgians.”

The total enrollment at Augusta University for fall 2022 was 9,813, marking a 17.8% increase since 2015 and a 2.2% increase over fall 2021’s 9,606 enrollment total. As part of that overall increase, graduate enrollment rose 11.8% from fall 2021 and professional student enrollment increased within the Medical College of Georgia.

AU, which recorded the second-highest percentage of growth in the system, is one of just eight of the 26 institutions within USG to show growth last year.

“This is a pivotal time for our university, and that is shown in the continued growth of our student body, the addition of quality academic programs and the number of successful graduates those programs produce,” Keel said.

The $20.1 billion total economic impact for fiscal year 2022, up from $19.3 billion in fiscal year 2021, included $14.2 billion in initial spending by students and by USG’s 26 public colleges and universities on personnel and operating expenses. The remaining $5.9 billion is the multiplier impact of those funds in a local community. On average, every dollar of initial spending generates an additional 42 cents for the economy of the region that hosts the institution.

“USG’s 26 public colleges and universities, individually and collectively, make a significant economic impact across the state, helping to put Georgians to work while spending money in local communities and helping their regional economies support Georgia’s growth,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “At the same time, our graduates are the real winners with this million-dollar deal. We’re focused on continuing to help all our students be successful as they use their degrees to prepare themselves for their future prosperity.”

The full economic impact report is available on USG’s website.