Monthly Report – September 2025

A note from Mark

It’s that time of year again. More than 200,000 students have just made their way back to campuses, classrooms, dorm rooms, and lecture halls across our region. All ages and backgrounds. Residents and commuters. Adult learners and recent high school graduates. Hopeful. Motivated. Excited. All the things a region could and should hope for as it looks to grow and sustain a world-class economy and a world-class workforce.

To know and understand anything about the history of San Diego and our economy is to know and understand the value, strength, and importance of higher education. The critical role that our universities, community colleges, and learning communities have played over the last several decades cannot be overstated. As an economic development community, we must never forget what an important role they have played in growing and diversifying our region. Yet as classes begin this year, unprecedented challenges continue to mount for San Diego and for our nation’s higher education institutions….

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By the numbers

  • 34% Decrease in VC funding in Q2
  • 4.9% Unemployment rate in San Diego in Q2

Featured stories

New and renewing investors

  • Arup
  • Burnham Center for Community Advancement
  • Burger Construction
  • Carrier Johnson + Culture
  • City of Vista
  • Commute by Enterprise
  • DPR Construction
  • Founders First Capital Partners
  • General Atomics
  • General Dynamics
  • Gensler
  • Kilroy Realty Corporation
  • NOVO Brazing Brewing Company
  • UC San Diego

See our current monthly report