Study: CSU System’s economic impact far exceeds state funding

“This report clearly demonstrates the value of higher education as a positive, long-term investment – for individual students and the state of Colorado,” CSU System Chancellor Tony Frank said. “Even during economic downturns (the first time we released this report was during the pandemic), our universities show up as stable economic engines and drivers of regional and local economies. The CSU System generates thousands of jobs, educates the next generation of Colorado leaders, and directly helps rural communities through CSU Extension’s outreach in all 64 Colorado counties – exactly what land-grant universities like CSU were designed to do.”

The CSU System generated $2.4 billion in annual economic output, supported nearly 12,000 jobs, and generated an estimated $90 million in tax revenue. During that same year, the three CSU System campuses – CSU Fort Collins; CSU Pueblo, and CSU Global, the nation’s first fully accredited online public university – educated more than 50,000 students. Sixty-eight percent of the students at CSU’s physical campuses came from Colorado, with the remainder representing all 50 states and numerous countries, reflecting CSU’s continued ability to attract students from across Colorado and beyond, even as higher education enrollment trends shift nationally.

“This diverse student body reflects CSU’s role as both a regional institution serving local communities (CSU Pueblo) and an internationally recognized research university (CSU Fort Collins) attracting students from across the nation,” the report’s authors wrote.

CSU graduates also tend to remain in Colorado, contributing to the state’s economy throughout their lives. Since 1980, more than 194,000 students have graduated from CSU Fort Collins and another 22,000 from CSU Pueblo, with 61% and 74%, respectively, remaining in Colorado.

Beyond its annual economic activity, CSU’s long-term impact is reflected in the success of its graduates. According to the study, CSU Fort Collins alumni earned an aggregate of $3 billion more than they would have without their degrees, while the Pueblo alumni earned $389 million more, underscoring CSU’s critical role in building Colorado’s workforce and strengthening long-term economic competitiveness.

“These figures demonstrate the University’s critical role in enhancing Colorado’s human capital and long-term economic competitiveness,” the report stated, later adding: “The CSU System represents far more than an educational institution. It’s also a significant driver of economic activity statewide as well as other social benefits.”

The economic impact report, authored by CSU Ph.D. student Henry Williams and professors Rebecca Hill and Tim Komarek, used modeling software to quantify the value that its campuses in Fort Collins and Pueblo brought to the economies of Larimer and Pueblo counties, as well as the value that CSU Global and the CSU System generated statewide, during the 2024 fiscal year. The report underscores CSU’s role as a major driver of economic activity, workforce development, and innovation across Colorado, as well as growth compared to the previous study posted on the CSU System website in 2021.

Among the report’s other highlights:

• State funding accounted for 11% ($211.6 million) of the CSU System’s total revenue of $1.9 billion. By comparison, the System contributed more than $1.2 billion in value to Colorado’s economy.
• CSU STRATA, CSU’s tech transfer entity, has facilitated the creation of 69 startup companies since 1997. The university averages 103 new inventions, 155 intellectual property applications, and 39 patents each year, generating $3.6 million in licensing revenue. These innovation activities translate CSU research into real-world applications, supporting new industries and economic growth across the state.
• The CSU Office of Engagement and Extension manages an extensive network of 284 full-time employees serving every Colorado county, providing actionable, research-based solutions and extending CSU’s impact into every corner of the state.
• CSU Fort Collins and CSU Pueblo generated a combined $3.19 billion increase in salary across Colorado, which is 1.2% of total Colorado wages and salaries.
• In Larimer County, CSU Fort Collins supports 12,800 jobs and contributes $1.3 billion in value added to the local economy.
• The CSU Pueblo campus supports 610 jobs and $112 million in total economic output.
• CSU Global generated 563 jobs in Colorado alone and $88 million in total economic output.