SPOTLIGHT
Keeping Talent in Georgia The University System of Georgia (USG) awards more business-related degrees than in any other academic interest area, with a vast majority of those graduates staying to live and work in Georgia. In fiscal year 2021, USG awarded an all-time high of 72,929 degrees, a 3% increase over FY20 and up nearly 33% since 2011. The FY21 figure includes 9,529 bachelor’s degrees in business-related majors and 2,933 master’s degrees in a business-related field. One out of every five bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees awarded by the system were in business-related fields, with business administration and management, finance, and accounting among the top bachelor’s degrees. Among master’s degrees, general administration and management and accounting were awarded most. The most recently available state data shows 78% of USG bachelor’s graduates and 75% of master’s graduates who majored in business were employed in Georgia one year after graduation. The data does not include graduates who were self-employed or employed by the military or federal government. Overall, 75% of USG bachelor’s graduates and 62% of master’s graduates were employed in Georgia one year after graduation.
• The Georgia State University Alumni Association reports 80% of graduates who have graduated in the past 11 years stay in Atlanta. That means, since 2010, 75,000 of Georgia State’s 93,000 graduates in remain in metro-Atlanta. GSUs top majors are Business Administration, Psychology, Marketing, Finance, Nursing, Management, and Accounting. Finally, a May 2021 study commissioned by USG showed a Class of 2020 graduate, on average, will earn an additional $852,162 over the course of their career as a result of their USG degree. More specifically, a bachelor’s degree increases the work-life earnings of the median Georgia resident by $1,152,500. A master’s degree is worth an additional $247,000, and a professional degree is worth an additional $1,015,000. Additionally, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center in 2020 released a report showing Georgia experienced among the largest increases in the nation for six-year college completion rates. Special thanks to Aaron Diamant, Vice Chancellor, Communications, and the team at the University System of Georgia, for providing this data.
The University System of Georgia institutions also track several metrics specific to their own graduates. Among some examples: • The University of Georgia’s Career Outcomes Initiative provides insight into the employment and continuing education status of UGA graduates within an average of 6 months of their graduation date. Class of 2020 graduates accepted jobs in 48 states and 33 countries with 71% staying in Georgia.
S e p t e m b e r / Oc t ob e r 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C om m un i ti es F i rs t | 15
