Lakeland University has been named a co-winner of the 2025 Economic Driver of the Year Award by the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC). The announcement took place at the SCEDC’s Annual Celebration. The award recognizes businesses in Sheboygan County that make significant contributions to the local economy.
“We are honored to receive this award, which reflects the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff as we navigate an always-changing environment,” said Lakeland President Beth Borgen. “We prioritize partnerships with businesses and organizations that benefit our students and keep this region moving forward. This award tells us that our work is valued, and we are inspired to do even more.
“We are proud to be a part of this vibrant Sheboygan County community. Dating back to 1862, Lakeland has a long history of innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and embracing change. It has helped us deliver personalized pathways for our students that set them up for post-graduation success.”
According to a recent report from the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU), Lakeland University contributes $94 million annually to Wisconsin’s economy. Of this amount, $24.3 million is attributed specifically to Sheboygan County based on a separate institutional report completed this year.
Lakeland University operates its main campus in Sheboygan County and maintains additional locations in Appleton, Green Bay, Janesville, Madison, Waukesha, and Wisconsin Rapids—many situated within technical colleges in those areas. The university also has an international campus in Tokyo, Japan.
The award highlighted Lakeland’s Cooperative Education program. This initiative enables students to complete up to 25 percent of their degree requirements through employment and reflective learning with partner companies and organizations. Since its inception in fall 2018, more than 3,500 student placements have resulted in nearly 12,500 academic credits earned and over 668,000 hours worked—averaging over 35,000 hours each semester—and students have collectively earned over $10 million in wages.
Borgen also noted that the award recognizes Lakeland’s impact as a talent importer for Wisconsin. The WAICU report indicates that the university’s 12,200 alumni living in Wisconsin contribute $2.1 billion annually to the state’s economy—a figure representing over 82 percent of all living graduates from Lakeland.
“As I looked over the room at Thursday’s awards celebration, I was struck by the number of Lakeland graduates who have become leaders in our community,” Borgen said. “We have great success recruiting students from all over the country and they often choose to settle here. Kudos to Sheboygan County for demonstrating that this is an amazing place to live, have a career and raise a family.”
Lakeland shares this year’s SCEDC award with Lakeshore College (formerly Lakeshore Technical College), another higher education institution in the region. Previous recipients include companies such as Sargento, Acuity, American Orthodontics, Windway Capital-Vollrath-Terry Kohler, Bemis, Kohler Co., Johnsonville Sausage, Oostburg Concrete, Masters Gallery, MilliporeSigma, Curt Joa, Rockline, Aurora, Road America and North Town Partners.
