Middle Georgia State University’s Economic Impact Grows to Nearly $349 Million
Author: Sheron Smith
Posted: Friday, August 14, 2026 12:00 AM
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Macon, GA
MGA's five campuses generate significant economic impact across the region.
Middle Georgia State University (MGA) generated an economic impact of about $349 million during fiscal year 2025, an increase of nearly 12 percent over the previous year, according to a new study commissioned by the University System of Georgia (USG).
The Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business conducted the study, which examined all 25 institutions in the USG.
“Middle Georgia State University is proud to serve as an important economic engine for the communities and regions where we have campuses,” said Dr. Christopher Blake, MGA president. “The impact reflected in this report goes beyond the dollars spent by the University, our employees, and our students. It represents jobs, business activity, and the many ways a strong public university contributes to the vitality of the communities it serves.”
The study measures the impact of spending by the University, its employees, and its students. In fiscal 2025, MGA's initial spending totaled a little more than $266 million, including about $78 million in personnel services, $54 million in operating expenses, and $134 million in student spending. As those dollars circulated through the regional economy, they generated an additional economic impact through indirect and induced spending.
MGA's total economic impact during that time included about $235 million in value added to the regional economy and approximately $141 million in labor income. The University's economic activity supported 2,985 full- and part-time jobs, including 896 on-campus jobs and 2,089 off-campus jobs in the private and public sectors.
The fiscal 2025 findings are part of a broader report showing that USG's 25 institutions generated a record $25 billion in economic impact statewide, a nearly 9 percent increase over fiscal 2024, and supported 170,096 jobs. The study estimates that, on average, each dollar of initial spending by USG institutions and their students generated an additional 54 cents for the economies of their host regions.
A companion Selig Center report also examined the long-term economic value of degrees earned by the USG Class of 2025. For MGA's 1,470 graduates in fiscal 2025, estimated work-life earnings in Georgia total more than $4.5 billion, with approximately $1.46 billion in additional earnings attributable to the degrees they earned.
“The value of MGA extends well beyond our immediate economic activity,” Blake said. “Every year, our graduates enter the workforce with the knowledge and skills to build successful careers and contribute to their communities. That is another important measure of the return on investment in higher education.”
The economic impact study covers fiscal year 2025, from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Economic impact estimates are based on spending by the institutions, their faculty and staff, and their students and include direct, indirect, and induced effects on their regional economies.
Key MGA Fiscal 2025 Economic Impact Figures:
- Total economic impact: $348,972,267
- Increase from fiscal 2024: 11.8 percent
- Initial spending: $266,177,969
- Value added: $235,165,096
- Labor income: $141,459,837
- Jobs supported: 2,985 (896 on campus; 2,089 off campus)
Lifetime Earnings Impact of MGA’s Fiscal 2025 Graduates:
- Degrees conferred: 1,470
- Estimated Georgia work-life earnings: $4,522,093,779
- Estimated earnings attributable to MGA degrees: $1,458,307,025
MGA serves more than 9,300 students, its highest enrollment, on campuses in Macon, Cochran, Dublin, Eastman, and Warner Robins, and online. The University offers 70+ areas of study and degrees at the doctorate, master's, and bachelor's levels, along with select career-oriented associate's degrees and certificates. MGA is home to Georgia's flagship School of Aviation, based on the Eastman Campus.
The full reports: