Stephen F. Austin State University accounts for more than $348 million of local economic activity and supports 4,819 local jobs, or 18% of total local employment, according to a 2025 economic report produced by the Center for Business and Economic Research in SFA’s Rusche College of Business.
Given Nacogdoches County’s total regional output of about $3.3 billion, SFA is responsible for $1 out of every $9.50 of economic activity in the county, the report indicates.
“The university’s operations, the spending by students, SFA faculty and staff spending, and the spending by out-of-town visitors to the region all contribute to SFA’s impact,” said Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, CBER director and chair of SFA’s Department of Economics and Finance.
The report, produced by Kouliavtsev with Drs. Rebecca Davis and Mark Scanlan, associate professor and professor of economics at SFA, respectively, breaks down these contributions. Student and employee spending are the most significant contributors, supporting over 4,000 jobs and generating more than $270 million of economic activity. The remaining impact is created by university operations, including construction projects, and spending by guests to the region.
Compiled at the request of the Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation, the report is based on data from the 2022-23 academic year before SFA joined The University of Texas System.
“This report shows how important SFA is to the Nacogdoches economy,” said Larissa Philpot-Brown, NEDCO president and CEO. “And SFA’s economic impact will likely expand because of its affiliation with the UT System, which is expected to drive enrollment increases and, in turn, attract more businesses to the area.”
CBER provides expert economic research, analysis and consulting services to private and public clients in East Texas and beyond. To read the full report and learn more about CBER, visit sfasu.edu/cber/projects.
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 40 academic facilities, 11 residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering over 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
By University Marketing Communications
