A recent study conducted by the University Research Center (URC) has found that Mississippi’s public universities provided $6.527 billion in economic impacts around the state in 2020 and are expected to have an $8.052 billion impact by 2030.
The study examined the contribution of the state’s public universities to the Mississippi economy and the role its graduates play in the state’s economy.
Included in the calculations are the direct, indirect, and induced effects on real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), total employment, and real personal income.
The study’s focus was on three major components of the university system’s impact:
- University operations, including the number of employees, wages, construction cost, research spending, and all other operational costs.
- Off-campus spending and all non-operational activities, such as sports, conferences, and volunteer hours provided by students and employees.
- Additional earnings of graduates entering the workforce.
According to the report, each dollar of state funding for Mississippi Public Universities generates approximately $1.52 of personal income in Mississippi and grows the Mississippi economy by $1.72. In 2020, the universities contributed an estimated $289 million to State General Fund Revenue in Mississippi.
The number of jobs supported by the university system through direct, indirect and induced employment was estimated to be 80,280 jobs in 2020.
By 2030, URC estimates 98,801 jobs will be supported through the university system’s impact on the state. The salaries employees earn contribute to Mississippi’s economy through consumer spending, paying taxes, and investing in real estate.
This year’s enrollment at Mississippi’s largest universities
