Университет Джеймса Мэдисона сгенерировал 593 млн долларов для экономики Харрисонбурга

Beyond campus: JMU’s impact on the Harrisonburg economy HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - When thousands of James Madison University students return to Harrisonburg each fall, their impact can be seen across the city. JMU’s latest economic impact report shows the university’s connection to the community extends beyond the students who live here. The 2025 report found JMU generated $593 million in economic impact in the Harrisonburg metropolitan area, with student spending making up a significant portion of that total. “Students in and of themselves contribute about $200 million dollars in terms of spending and that’s not on tuition and housing and all of the college-related expenses. That’s directly into restaurants and groceries and and housing and food,” Keith Holland with JMU said. Holland said that spending has a ripple effect as those dollars move through the local economy, supporting salaries and increasing the area’s tax base. “From student spending alone, it’s estimated that about 1,200 additional jobs in the area are created as a result of that student spending,” Holland said. Students also contribute to the local economy as members of the workforce. Pierce Macgill with Harrisonburg Economic Development said workforce is the number one issue in economic development, making attracting and retaining workers a major focus for the city and regional economic development groups. That workforce connection is just one part of the larger role Macgill said JMU plays in Harrisonburg. He described the university as an economic anchor that provides stability to the city. “We are kind of like the old General Motors factory town except our factory is never gonna close. So we are very blessed here to have our economic anchor be JMU because we know it is always going to be stable,” Macgill said. JMU’s economic reach also extends to the people it brings into the area. Holland said the university gets about 300,000 visitors annually who are not local to the area. Athletics, conferences and other events bring those visitors into the Shenandoah Valley, where they can also spend money in the local economy. But JMU’s impact is not limited to dollars. Holland said JMU has documented more than 60,000 hours of community service and participation by students with community organizations. “We’ve documented over 60,000 hours of community service and participation at by students in our community and community organization. So that’s yet another great way that students get exposed to what Harrisonburg and Rockingham County have to offer,” Holland said. Internships provide another connection between students and the surrounding community. “Internships are great ways to get our students exposed to the community and what the community has to offer as well as share with them the future career opportunities that they have,” Holland said. Those experiences can create a longer-term connection to the area. Holland said many students are drawn back to the Shenandoah Valley after graduation because of their experiences here. The most recent economic impact report was released in 2025 and used fiscal year 2022 data. Holland said those numbers were likely still influenced by the pandemic. JMU is preparing to conduct another economic impact study this year, and Holland said the university expects the new study to show its impact has grown. “We know that those impacts and even these numbers that I’ve been citing are are a little bit are likely low, but we want to conduct the study to verify that,” Holland said. The new study will provide a more current picture of how JMU’s economic impact has grown and changed since 2022. Copyright 2026 WHSV. All rights reserved.