The Economic Value of America's Community Colleges. Main Report

Over the years, students gained new skills, making them more productive workers, by studying at America's community colleges. Today, millions of these former students are employed in the U.S. The accumulated impact of former students currently employed in the U.S. workforce amounted to $898.5 billion in added income for the U.S. economy in fiscal year (FY) 2019-20, which is equivalent to supporting 10.7 million jobs. For further perspective, this means that one out of every 18 jobs in the U.S. is supported by the activities of the colleges' former students. The additional income of $898.5 billion created by America's community colleges is equal to approximately 4.1% of the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the U.S. This report assesses the impact of the increased alumni productivity of America's community colleges on the national economy and the benefits generated by the colleges for students, taxpayers, and society. The results of this study show that America's community colleges create a positive net impact on the U.S. economy and generate a positive return on investment for their main stakeholders.