VSU’s Economic Impact Climbs to $412.5 Million, Supports More Than 3,400 Jobs
Thursday, September 3rd, 2026
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. This 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, published as part of a 25-page report to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, underscore VSU’s vital role as an economic engine for 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,” said Dr. Donald J. Green, university president. “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.”
Long before its impact is measured in research breakthroughs, community partnerships formed, or new employment opportunities attracted to the area, VSU fuels the Valdosta-Lowndes County 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 operations, like purchasing goods and services and maintaining the campus grounds and facilities, send additional dollars to businesses and workers across VSU’s host area.
But VSU’s economic impact is about more than the money it spends every day.
VSU also strengthens its host communities by offering academic programs designed to meet the evolving needs of employers, fostering innovation, and helping attract businesses and investments that benefit from access to an educated talent pool. Through these connections, the university functions as both a center of higher education and an economic anchor that contributes 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.”
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