Savannah Chamber

42 Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce 2015 Economic Trends 21 Infrastructure: Education The five-county CMSA employed approximately 3,765 faculty, administrators, and staff in public and private educational services in the first quarter of 2014. Public High Schools in the CMSA produced 3,322 graduates. Of the metro area's population above age 25, approximately 90% are high school graduates or have higher education. Approximately 30% of the population above the age of 25 has a bachelor's degree or higher level of educational attainment. Savannah's educational institutions offer a range of programs to suit every learning need, from the family looking for one of the state's free high-quality pre-kindergarten programs to the college graduate looking to pursue an advanced degree. Pre-K-12 Education With new schools being built and greater academic options being offered, the district's enrollment is now at 38,031 students – an increase of 796 students from the previous year, that is equivalent to that of an entire new school. There are 53 schools across the public school system that includes 26 elementary schools (includes two charter schools), 8 K-8 schools (includes one charter), 9 middle schools (include one charter), and 10 high schools. Last year in Savannah-Chatham County (2012-13) two schools were included among the best in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report; one school was included among 30 others in the world to receive the Program of Excellence Award in Engineering; and the district was named one of the top three districts in the nation for effective use of technology. For more information, please visit sccpss.com Higher Education: Colleges, Universities and Technical Schools Over 60,000 students are enrolled in the 18 institutions of higher learning in and around the Savannah area. While several of these schools have long histories of producing graduates who have contributed to the region, others are recent newcomers, attracted to the demands for advanced learning created by Savannah's vibrant and growing economy. Armstrong State University (ASU): Founded in 1935 as Armstrong Junior College, Armstrong in 2013 enrolled approximately 7,100 students in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree-granting programs. In addition to bachelor and masters degrees, this SACS-accredited institution offers a doctoral degree, eleven associate degrees, pre-professional programs, and online degree programs. In 2013-2014 the university awarded 1,344 academic degrees, a 0.75% increase from the previous academic year. Departmental and faculty grants afford tremendous opportunities for student scholarships, research, and part-time employment. armstrong.edu Coastal Georgia Center: Operated by Georgia Southern University, in partnership with Armstrong State University and Savannah State University, the Coastal Georgia Center offers a convenient location with a professional environment in downtown Savannah for students to earn graduate degrees in business, education, public administration, and social work. The center is also an outreach component of the University System of Georgia to promote economic development and serve as a venue with modern technology and services for meetings, seminars, and regional conferences. academics.georgiasouthern.edu/cgc Georgia Tech Savannah: Initiated in 1998, the satellite campus of the Atlanta-based Georgia Institute of Technology in Savannah was created as an upper division campus to unite education, industry, and technology in Georgia's Southeast region. The campus is home to regional offices of the Georgia Tech Economic Development Institute and the Advanced Technology Development Center, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute. The Savannah campus has transitioned into an international destination for professional education, and will include professional master's degrees, certificates and specialized training programs targeting industry and the military. savannah.gatech.edu SCAD: The University for Creative Careers : The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in more than 40 areas of study, as well as minors in more than 60 disciplines in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning. SCAD has more than 29,000 alumni, and offers an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. The diverse student body, consisting of nearly 12,000 students, comes from 49 states and over 100 countries worldwide. Each student is nurtured and motivated by one of more than 650 full and part-time faculty with extraordinary academic credentials and valuable professional

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