Study shows WSU generated $3.4 billion in economic impact statewide last year
A new study suggests Washington State University is one of the state's major economic drivers.
WSU generated $3.4 billion in economic impact across Washington in 2014, in part by landing major research grants that support jobs throughout the state, according to the study prepared by Community Attributes Inc. for the university's Office of Economic Development. For every dollar allocated by the Legislature, the study found, WSU delivered $18.87 in economic benefit to the state.
"Unlike any other educational institution in the state, we have a working presence in each of Washington’s 39 counties," WSU President Elson Floyd said in the opening section of the new report. "We have campuses in Pullman, Spokane, Tri Cities, and Vancouver, along with a new and growing presence in Everett. Our Global Campus offers online degree programs that can be accessed from any location around the globe. Each of these locations represents an opportunity for us to extend our impact to benefit the people of Washington."
The state allocates about $186.4 million a year for WSU, which has about 27,700 students and last year also received $341.1 million in mostly federal research grants. The single-largest source of research grants received by WSU was the U.S. Agriculture Department.