Economic Impact of the Maricopa Community Colleges creates $7.2 billion in value and 96,207 jobs

TEMPE, Ariz., April 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study by Economic Modeling Specialist International (EMSI) shows the economic value the Maricopa Community Colleges brings to its students and the economy. The numbers are staggering, proving that the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an economic engine for Maricopa County and a vital resource for all of Arizona. For the fiscal year 2016-17, MCCCD added $7.2 billion in income and 96,209 jobs to the Maricopa County economy, the equivalent of 3 percent of the total gross regional product of Maricopa County. The addition of 96,209 jobs means that one out of every 27 jobs in Maricopa County is supported by the activities of the Colleges and their students.

The total economic impact includes the sum of the MCCCD operations spending impact, the student spending impact, and the alumni impact.

The Maricopa Community Colleges also benefit state and local taxpayers adding $2.4 billion over students' working lives through increased tax receipts and reduced demand for government-supported social services. In total, the Arizona economy will grow $31.1 billion over the course of students' working lives. This includes $191.3 million in social savings related to health, crime and income assistance in Arizona.

The Economic Impact Study also found that graduating from a Maricopa Community College raises a student's lifetime earnings and helps them achieve their potential. Collectively, Maricopa students will receive $3.4 billion in higher future earnings over their working lives. On average, students who earned an associate degree in FY 2016-17 will see an increase in earnings of $9,700 each year compared to a person with only a high school diploma working in Arizona. Over a lifetime, the benefits of the associate degree will amount to a value of $398 thousand in higher earnings per graduate.

"The success of our students is reflected in the health and economic vitality of our community, and sustained success in the future requires a long-term commitment to innovation. We are proud of the progress we have made in the past year to deliver on our promise of high quality, affordable education for almost 200,000 students at MCCCD – and there is more to come," said Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick, MCCCD Chancellor.

In recent months, MCCCD has introduced multiple new initiatives and partnerships with employers and business organizations as part of its commitment to meet the growing demands for talent in industries like information technology, advanced manufacturing, allied health, construction and financial services. These programs are designed to ensure MCCCD students have the skills and abilities required for success in Arizona's workforce. The District is providing innovative opportunities, both educational and institutional, from a cost-saving standpoint that includes an unprecedented reduction in tuition.

Recent highlights from innovative MCCCD partnerships with business leaders and employers include:

• Mesa, Chandler-Gilbert and Scottsdale Community Colleges have partnered with the East Valley cities and technology companies, such as Apple, to launch first-ever coding, cloud and networking certification and degree opportunities through the creation of a Maricopa IT Institute at Mesa.
• Scottsdale Community College unveiled a state-of-the-art, expanded computer networking lab to help students become certified and trained in cloud computing and virtualization. SCC's lab and virtual data center's expanded capacity now supports 1,000 virtual machines.
• Nearly all Maricopa Community Colleges continue to work on expanding allied health opportunities to meet consistently growing community and health system needs, including a partnership with the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Foundation to establish incumbent worker upskilling certifications in high-demand specialty areas.
• For the first time this year, Glendale Community College participated in the National Cyber League competition and scored extraordinarily well. Students worked through real-world lab exercises and competed against over 3,000 other teams from across the United States. GCC students placed in the Gold level and achieved the highest level of knowledge and skills (Top 15 percent) for the Western Conference.

"While our overall economic impact outlined in this study is impressive, the Maricopa Community Colleges continue to be a critical cornerstone in growing Arizona's economy through our partnerships and career opportunities that align to industry needs and create new ways to understand and improve our ability to be nimble and responsive to employers," said Chancellor, Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick.

Media Contacts:
Matt Hasson, 480-731-8503, [email protected] 
Dasi Danzig, 480-268-6766, [email protected]

About The Maricopa Community Colleges
The Maricopa County Community College District includes ten regionally-accredited colleges – Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale, and South Mountain – and the Maricopa Corporate College, serving more than 200,000 students with two-year degrees, certificates, and university transfer programs.

SOURCE Maricopa Community Colleges

Related Links

http://www.maricopa.edu