With the consolidation of Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University in 2015, KSU has become the third largest state university within Georgia. Enrollment is now at 33,000 students, undergraduate and graduate, with more than 150 degrees offered. With over 100,000 alumni to date, KSU has garnered an outstanding reputation as a comprehensive academic institution that offers a vibrant campus life, award-winning dining facilities, a wide array of athletic offerings with nationally ranked degrees in business, engineering, nursing, architecture, education, science and math. This success has been the result of a strategic plan that has positioned KSU to become a world-class institution.
For residents of Cobb and south Cherokee counties, KSU has had an economic impact of $1.2 billion reportedly by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia report in 2012. Considering the majority of students reside off campus, this means commuters live in and around the campuses located in Marietta and Kennesaw. Located just north of Atlanta, the campuses combine a suburban setting with access to one of the country’s most dynamic cities – Atlanta.
This growing regional economic impact of nearly a billion dollars a year means Kennesaw State is making strong connections nationally and around the world to bring new entrepreneurial opportunities to Georgia. Students have educational opportunities related to nearly every aspect of business through the classrooms, internships and through research efforts to generate economic growth. This translates into new opportunities for investment, as well as employment opportunities for area citizens.
Some of the biggest corporations have headquarters in the Atlanta area and are consistently recruiting graduates of KSU.
All of this means opportunity in Cobb to capitalize on the merger success and strategic future plans for Kennesaw State University. Increased student and staff housing needs, hiring demands both on campus and in the area and anticipated short and long-term growth translates into opportunities to invest in Cobb County’s real estate market. KSU is a huge asset to the area and capitalizing on this growth is a win-win result for area investors.