At this time of year, we celebrate the great success of our students—whether they walk across the stage at the Student Awards Night, Honors Convocation or Commencement. To all of us the value inherent in a student’s time at MCC is obvious: we value the learning that takes place in and out of the classroom, the leadership skills gained from student life activities, the mentoring that occurs between students and faculty. Yet, it is clear our assessment of the importance of college is not universally shared. Recently, story after story has called into question the value of college, and the slow economic recovery has led federal, state and local governments to disinvest in higher education.
So, as we close this year and open our budget advocacy for the coming one, please know that MCC has new data that underscores the value of the College to our community and to our students.
According to a recent economic impact study by Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI):
• MCC has an annual economic impact on Monroe County of $710.1 million,
• MCC students see an 18.3% return on their investment, and
• Taxpayers see a return on their investment of $2.50 for every dollar invested.
EMSI’s model examines college-related spending and estimates the income MCC alumni earn as a direct result of their MCC education, the additional taxes they pay, and the public costs that decline as the result of a college-educated citizenry.
This analysis by EMSI―the same company that partnered with us on Career Coach―underscores with data what we have long seen in our graduates and our community: an MCC education transforms lives, strengthens businesses and supports communities.
In addition to looking at the economic impact of the entire college, we asked EMSI to analyze the impact of our downtown campus. That study showed a $110.8 million annual economic impact for the campus and DCC students seeing a 19% return on their investment.
While we might hope that the value of MCC was self-evident, the reality is that the world seems to have adopted the old institutional research saying, “In God we trust, all others must bring data.” Thanks to the new economic impact study, we can bring this data and shine a bright light on the value of an MCC education--to our students and our community. I invite you to print our Economic Impact Fact Sheet (attached below) and share it widely. If you’d like to learn more, you can find the full economic impact report online.
Please share your thoughts on the blog.
Anne M. Kress
President's Office
05/29/2013
Attachments:
 MCC Economic Impact Fact Sheet.pdf
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