FGCU Economic Contribution Analysis
January 28, 2022 / RERI Research Team / Tag: Reports
Economic Contribution of Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Gulf Coast University Alumni Survey
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) opened its doors to students on August 25, 1997 and was the tenth state university in the Florida State University System. Twenty-five years after opening its doors, FGCU has grown to become not only Southwest Florida's largest post-secondary education presence, but also serve as a catalyst for economic development in the region. To help celebrate this milestone, the RERI conducted a two-part study to understand the contributions and impacts FGCU has brought to the region.
The first part of the study was an economic contribution analysis of FGCU on the Southwest Florida region for the 2018-2019 academic year1. Through its operation expenditures, out-of-region student's expenditures and capital expenditures, the University contributed to Southwest Florida as follows:
- $368.2 million in direct expenditures and $584.6 million in total expenditures;
- $267.1 million in direct value added and $379.1 million in total value added, or GDP;
- $169.7 million in direct labor income and $228.6 million in total labor income; and
- 2,512 direct jobs in the region, as well as 3,852 total jobs.
The second part of the study involved conducting an survey of all FGCU alumni to learn more about their experiences after graduating. Main findings from the survey include:
- 71 percent of alumni secured employment in their field of study within six months of graduation;
- 17 percent of responding alumni owned a business either before, during or after graduating from FGCU;
- 90 percent of responding alumni are currently employed;
- Since graduating from FGCU, 58 percent of respondents had received a promotion from work, 54 percent served as a mentor or trainer for a colleague, and 45 percent received recognition or an award within the company; and
- 23 percent of respondents stated they currently volunteer on a monthly basis at a nonprofit organization or foundation.
Download both reports to learn more about the contribution FGCU on the Southwest Florida community!
Downloads:
Economic Contribution of Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Gulf Coast University Alumni Survey
Related Links:
Acknowledgments:
We would like to thank both FGCU Alumni Relations and University Marketing & Digital Communications for assisting with the distribution of the FGCU Alumni Survey. We would also like to extend our gratitude to FGCU Human Resources and Office of the Registrar for providing the data needed for a proper economic contribution analysis.
Footnotes:
1Under normal circumstances, an economic contribution analysis would use data for the latest academic year available. However, both the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years were not normal years of operation, as the Covid-19 pandemic altered normal operating procedures for the university. Therefore, to have a better understanding of what kind of contributions the university makes to the region, the analysis looks at the contributions from operating expenditures, student expenditures and capital expenditures during the 2018-2019 academic year.
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