Regional study: The Economic Value of RCC

Every three years, the Oregon Community College Association supports an economic impact study for all community colleges in the state. The aggregated results are shared with the state legislature and local results with regional leaders.

The 2020 study of Rogue Community College (RCC), conducted by EMSI, measures the economic impacts created by RCC on the business community and the benefits the college generates in return for the investments made by its key stakeholder groups—students, taxpayers, and society.

Click here to view the executive summary of full study. 

Excerpts:

…RCC added $368.2 million in income to the economy of Josephine and Jackson Counties during the analysis year, equal to the sum of the operations and construction spending impacts, the student spending impact, and the alumni impact. For context, the $368.2 million impact was equal to approximately 2.8% of the total gross regional product (GRP) of Josephine and Jackson Counties. This contribution that the college provided on its own was as large as the entire Information industry in the region.

…RCC’s total impact can also be expressed in terms of jobs supported. The $368.2 million impact supported 5,889 regional jobs, using the jobs-to-sales ratios specific to each industry in the region. This means that one out of every 29 jobs in Josephine and Jackson Counties is supported by the activities of RCC and its students. In addition, the $368.2 million, or 5,889 supported jobs, stemmed from different industry sectors. Among non-education industry sectors, RCC’s spending and alumni in the Health Care & Social Assistance industry sector supported 1,477 jobs in FY 2018-19. These are impacts that would not have been generated without the college’s presence in Josephine and Jackson Counties.

…The results of this study demonstrate that RCC creates value from multiple perspectives. The college benefits regional businesses by increasing consumer spending in the region and supplying a steady flow of qualified, trained workers to the workforce. RCC enriches the lives of students by raising their lifetime earnings and helping them achieve their individual potential. The college benefits state and local taxpayers through increased tax receipts and a reduced demand for government-supported social services. Finally, RCC benefits society as a whole in Oregon by creating a more prosperous economy and generating a variety of savings through the improved lifestyles of students.