Estimated Economic Impact of Higher Education in New England
In May 2024, the Policy & Research team partnered with the New England Council (NEC) to produce estimates of the economic impact of higher education in each New England state and across the region. The New England Council is a non-partisan alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the New England region.
The economic impact snapshots leverage data from Lightcast, including:
- The total estimated economic impact of higher education (gross regional product).
- Federal taxes generated from the higher education field.
- The number of people employed in higher education in each New England state and across the region.
- The number of jobs created in each state and across the region (a measure of economic activity generated by people employed in higher education).
They also feature data from the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), including:
- The number of higher education institutions in each state and across the region.
- The number of students enrolled in New England.
- The number of students receiving Pell Grants.
Meant as a reference point for understanding the significant contributions of higher education to the region’s vitality, you are invited to explore how higher education impacts the economy in a state or the region:
Please email questions to policy@nebhe.org.