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				Contact: Christine Payton	April 17, 2009
				(337) 482-6397, payton@louisiana.edu
				Economic Impact of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette April 2009
				The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a major economic engine for Lafayette, Acadiana and Louisiana. UL Lafayette is the second-largest higher education institution in the state and the largest in the University of Louisiana System. It enrolls more than 16,000 students, has nearly 2,100 employees and attracts about $51 million in external research funding each year. Total Spending Impact • UL Lafayette had a total spending impact alone of $755 million annually in Louisiana, with $726 million of that total spending impact felt in Acadiana. Here’s a breakdown of university spending impacts: • Student spending, $287 million annual impact • Faculty and staff spending, $150 million annual impact • Visitor spending, $125 million annual impact • Operating expenditures, $72 million annual impact • Capital outlay and construction expenditures, $47 million average annual impact • Health insurance payments, $32 million annual impact • Retiree spending, $23 million annual impact • Affiliated organizations*, $19 million annual impact * Such as the UL Lafayette Alumni Association and UL Lafayette Foundation Non-university jobs created by university spending: 7,783 Economic Impact of Research and Economic Development Centers • In 2008, UL Lafayette reported $51 million in external research funding from state, federal, private and self-generated funds. These were new dollars brought into Acadiana’s economy. • More than 400 people are employed by agencies in University Research Park. Their total payroll exceeds $26 million. • UL Lafayette operates two economic development centers with statewide responsibility – the Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana and the Louisiana Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Both had substantial economic impact on Louisiana businesses in 2008. • Other UL Lafayette economic development centers include the Enterprise Center of Louisiana; the Center for Business and Information Technologies; the Small Business Development Center; and the National Incident Management Systems and Advanced Technologies Institute. In 2008, the university’s economic development centers served more than 2,842 clients. • In 2008, UL Lafayette’s economic development centers had the following impacts: o $ 1.2 billion in increased revenues for clients o $ 1.8 billion in retained revenues for clients o More than $101 million in savings for clients o More than $56 million in increased investments by clients o About $28 million in cost avoidance (money that companies did not have to spend as a result of economic development centers’ assistance) • The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been designated by the Carnegie Foundation as a “Research University with High Research Activity.” That puts UL Lafayette in the same category as institutions such as Baylor University, the University of Oklahoma, Clemson University and Auburn University. Jobs created and retained by Louisiana businesses served by UL Lafayette’s economic development centers – 22,790 Teaching • About $1.3 billion was added to Louisiana’s economy by UL Lafayette graduates over the past 10 years due to degree attainment. • UL Lafayette has awarded more than 100,000 degrees since it was established in 1898. • In the field of computer and information sciences and support, UL Lafayette generated 42 doctoral degrees and 633 master’s degrees over the past 10 years. That’s the highest number of degrees produced by any university in the state in those fields. Quality of Life • The University of Louisiana at Lafayette improves the quality of life for communities it serves by providing cultural, economic and educational opportunities that would not likely be available otherwise. • The university reaches out to the community through service, offering opportunities for service-learning in 118 courses. • Faculty, staff and students volunteered about 508,000 hours last year. Of that total, students volunteered about 393,203 hours per year, while faculty and staff served an average of 115,000 hours. Fast Facts: • If UL Lafayette were a private business, it would be the largest private employer in Lafayette Parish. • If UL Lafayette were a city, it would rank as the 17th largest in Louisiana, according to U.S. Census data. • Every dollar of state funding invested in UL Lafayette generates more than an $8 return. • UL Lafayette employs nearly 2,100 people. • The university has a total jobs impact of 7,783. This means that for every person who works for UL Lafayette, there are nearly four additional individuals in the community who have jobs as a direct result. Put another way, for every 10 UL Lafayette employees, there are nearly 40 additional jobs created in the area. • Nearly 450 non-university jobs were tied to university construction projects each year. Source: Applied Technology Research Corporation of Baton Rouge, La., conducted an economic study for 2008 for the eight universities that make up the University of Louisiana System: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Grambling State University, Louisiana Tech University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University and the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Document last revised Monday, April 20, 2009 11:39 AM

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