Savannah Chamber

43 26 Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce 2024 Economic Trends Infrastructure: Education The seven-county CSA* employed approximately 17,411 faculty, administrators, and staff in public and private educational services in 2022-2023. Public High Schools in the CSA produced 5,436 graduates. Of the metro area's population above age 25, approximately 91% are high school graduates or have higher education. Approximately 31% of the population above the age of 25 has a bachelor's degree or higher level of educational attainment. (*See Demographics page for CSA definition.) Pre-K-12 Public Education The District's SY-22/23 enrollment is 36,502 students, a 1.4% increase from SY-21/22, which was 36,007 students. There are 58 schools across the public-school system including 23 elementary schools, 8 K-8 schools, 8 middle schools, 11 high schools, and a virtual academy for students in grades 3–11. The district also supports 5 charter schools and 8 other educational centers. The School District continues to improve educational offerings through facility improvements under the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales tax. The Savannah-Chatham Public School System was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) for three schools: Southwest Elementary, Southwest Middle, and Godley Station K8. The New Hampstead K-8 school in western Chatham County added a capacity of 1,500 students to the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System. The District's STEM Academy at Bartlett has twice been named the top STEM Middle School Program in the nation. Virginia L. Heard Elementary Academy is the only State of Georgia STEM certified elementary school in the District. SCCPSS has also steadily improved the graduation rate to outperform the state average for the past 6 years. The current graduation rate stands at 89.1% (SY 22-23), exceeding the state graduation rate for the ninth consecutive year. For more information, please visit sccpss.com. Higher Education: Colleges, Universities and Technical Schools Over 78,000 students are enrolled in the 17 institutions of higher learning in and around the Savannah area. While several of these schools consistently produce graduates who contribute to the region, others are recent newcomers attracted to the demands for advanced learning created by Savannah's vibrant and growing economy. Georgia Southern University (GSU): Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers approximately 140 degree programs serving more than 26,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Savannah, Statesboro, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and relevant, career-focused, hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. www.georgiasouthern.edu Coastal Georgia Center: Operated by Savannah State University, the Coastal Georgia Center offers a convenient location in historic downtown Savannah with a professional environment for students enrolled in graduate-level courses in business, public administration and social work. The center is an outreach component of the University System of Georgia, promoting economic development and provides space for meetings, seminars and regional conferences. www.savannahstate.edu/cgc/ Georgia Tech Savannah: The Savannah campus of Georgia Tech provides professional education to the Southeastern part of Georgia working in partnership with industry and K-12 outreach. It also is the home to many parts of Georgia Tech which include the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC), the Enterprise Innovation Institute, the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP), the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), and the Center of Innovation for Logistics. The Savannah Campus also has an applied research component to its mission working with industry to help solve problems in Supply Chain, Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace and Resiliency just to name a few areas. The GT Savannah Campus works with local, regional and national/international business and citizens for impact in the region. savannah.gatech.edu SCAD: The University for Creative Careers: SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls more than 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 120 countries. The future-

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