ABOUT

The Impact of Stony Brook University

2024

As a flagship of the State University of New York and Long Island’s only public research university, Stony Brook produces the innovations and the educated workforce that drive the region’s economy.

Table of Contents

Part I: Executive Summary

Part II: Introduction

Part III: The University's Impact on the Long Island Economy 

A. Operating Expenditures
B. Capital Expenditures
C. Off-Budget Family Expenses
D. Enhanced Worker Productivity
E. Expenditures from Clinical Activities

Part IV: The University's Impact on Earnings

A. Operating Expenditures
B. Capital Expenditures
C. Off-Budget Family Expenses
D. Enhanced Worker Productivity
E. Expenditures from Clinical Activities

Part V: The University's Impact on Jobs

A. Operating Expenditures
B. Capital Expenditures
C. Off-Budget Family Expenses
D. Enhanced Worker Productivity
E. Expenditures from Clinical Activities

Part VI: Putting it all Together - Aggregate Effects

A. Economic Impact on Long Island
B. Economic Impact of Stony Brook Graduates Worldwide

 Part VII: Apendices

Part VIII: References 

Part I: Executive Summary

Using financial and economic data from the 2021–22 fiscal year, this study uses the Regional Input-Output Modeling System (RIMS II) developed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce to estimate the economic impact of Stony Brook University on the economy of Long Island in terms of economic output — the total value of all goods and services produced in a specific region during a specified time — as well as increased earnings and jobs supported. Primary data sources for this study were the university’s unaudited financial report for 2021–22, audited financial statements for the university’s various clinical practice entities and data from the Stony Brook Office of Institutional Research, Planning & Effectiveness about degree completions and earnings.

  1. In total, Stony Brook University’s impact on the Long Island economy amounted to $8.93 billion in increased output, $3.42 billion in earnings and just over 55,000 jobs.
  2. The economic impact of Stony Brook University accounted for more than 3 percent of all economic activity in the Nassau/Suffolk County region and 8 percent of total jobs in Suffolk.
  3. The regional economy received $8.93 billion from the state’s direct investment of $514.1 million in tax dollars, which includes direct operating support, interest payments on capital projects and support of employee fringe benefits. This yield represents more than a 1,600 percent return, or an economic gain of $16 for every dollar the state invests.
  4. The total operating expenses for 2021–2022 were $2.93 billion, excluding depreciation and payments to the clinical practice corporation. Direct state appropriations, including support for employee fringe benefits and debt service, accounted for $514.1 million, or 17 percent of the total.
  5. In 2021–2022, the RIMS II multiplier effect, or secondary impact, of Stony Brook University’s operating expenditures generated an additional estimated $1.14 billion in increased economic output. The total direct and indirect effects of operating expenditure generated output of $4.07 billion and supported 24,416 jobs.
  6. In 2021–2022, Stony Brook expenditures on capital projects that did not appear in the operating expenses totaled $122.6 million. Including the multiplier effect, capital expenditures increased economic output by $169.8 million,  raised earnings by $46.6 million and supported 689 jobs.
  7. Students and their families spent an additional $288.2 million in the Long Island economy not captured in operating expenses. These expenditures increased output by $374.6 million, raised earnings by $100.6 million and supported 2,547 jobs.
  8. Stony Brook University increased student enrollments in and graduations from baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs, raising worker productivity. This enhanced productivity increased economic output by $3.38 billion, raised earnings by $1.43 billion and supported 22,995 jobs.
  9. In 2021–2022, expenditures across Stony Brook’s clinical practice activities outside of hospital expenditures totaled $714 million. Including the multiplier effect, clinical activities increased economic output by $934.5 million, raised earnings by $435.3 million and supported 4,380 jobs.
  10.  Beyond the increased worker productivity attributed to Stony Brook’s economic impact on Long Island, Stony Brook graduates have an enormous impact worldwide, with total estimated annual earnings of $27.73 billion among alumni from the past 40 years. These earnings translate to an estimated aggregate economic output worldwide by $36.1 billion, increased aggregate earnings by $15.2 billion and supported 245,153 jobs.

Part II: Introduction

Stony Brook University is a major asset and contributor to the Long Island economy. The university is Long Island’s largest single-site employer, employs more than 2,800 full- and part-time faculty, and provides more than 15,000 people with full- or part-time jobs. As Long Island’s only public research university, Stony Brook produces the educated workforce that drives the area’s high-tech economy.

The economic importance of Stony Brook for Long Island’s economy is apparent just by considering the university’s operating expenses of $3 billion in its financial statements.

Looking at the many programs and activities funded with these dollars, Stony Brook’s wide-ranging mission includes a focus on undergraduate and graduate education, research, healthcare, community service and economic development — all of which enrich the surrounding region.

But the raw expenses alone do not demonstrate to a sufficient degree just how integral Stony Brook is to the regional economy. Any organization that creates employment and income generates secondary effects in the area’s economy in additional employment and income, which is the result of spending and re-spending income. These effects are distinct from the impact of direct expenditures and are categorized as indirect economic impacts. The total economic impact of the organization is then obtained by adding together these direct and indirect effects. The approach for quantifying these direct and indirect effects — known as the multiplier methodology — is described in Appendix A.

Table 1. Faculty Head Count, 2021-2022
Faculty Status Number
Faculty StatusFull Time Number2,086
Faculty StatusTenured Number765
Faculty StatusTenure Track Number178
Faculty StatusNon-tenure track Number1,143
Faculty StatusPart Time Number780
Faculty StatusTenured Number 30
Faculty Status Tenure Track Number6
Faculty Status Non-tenure track Number744 

Data Source: Stony Brook University Fact Book

 

Table 2. Total Employment and Payroll (Full- and Part-Time Employees)
Employment Setting  Number
Employment Setting Faculty Number2,866
Employment Setting University Staff Number4,277
Employment Setting University Hospital Number7,223
Employment Setting Long Island State Veterans Home Number490
Employment Setting Faculty Student Association Number202
Employment Setting Other Employees Number307
Employment Setting Total Number15,365
Employment Setting Payroll
Employment Setting Monthly Payroll Number$116 Million

 Data Source: Employee head counts, 2021–22 from Stony Brook University Fact Book; outlay of salaries and wages from IPEDS Finance Survey

 

Table 3. Total Revenue for Years in Which Economic Impact Report Was Prepared
Year Revenue ($ Billions) - Current Dollars Revenue ($ Billions) - Constant 2022 Dollars
Year2022 Revenue ($ Billions) - Current Dollars3.21 Revenue ($ Billions) - Constant 2022 Dollars3.21
Year2016 Revenue ($ Billions) - Current Dollars2.28 Revenue ($ Billions) - Constant 2022 Dollars2.78
Year2008 Revenue ($ Billions) - Current Dollars1.64 Revenue ($ Billions) - Constant 2022 Dollars2.49
Year2003 Revenue ($ Billions) - Current Dollars1.26 Revenue ($ Billions) - Constant 2022 Dollars2.61

Data Sources: Annual Financial Report, Stony Brook University, 2003, 2008, 2016, 2022; Consumer Price Index

 

Table 4. Total Revenues by Source, 2022
Revenue Source Amount  % of Total
Revenue SourceOPERATING REVENUE Amount   % of Total 
Revenue SourceUniversity Hospital & Clinics Amount $1,937,271,245 % of Total57.8
Revenue SourceNet Tuition & Fees Amount $269,899,598 % of Total8.1
Revenue SourceFederal Grants & Contracts Amount $213,892,844  % of Total6.4
Revenue SourceAuxiliary Enterprises Amount $117,870,759 % of Total3.5
Revenue SourceState, Local and Private Grants & Contracts Amount $75,264,891  % of Total2.2
Revenue SourceOther Operating Revenue Amount $69,799,393  % of Total2.1
Revenue SourceNON-OPERATING REVENUE Amount   % of Total 
Revenue SourceState Appropriations Amount $514,052,389  % of Total15.3 
Revenue SourceFederal & State Student Financial Aid Amount $133,593,004 % of Total4
Revenue SourceOther Non-Operating, incl. Capital Gifts & Grants Amount $20,374,288  % of Total0.6
Revenue SourceTOTAL REVENUE, ALL SOURCES Amount $3,352,018,411 % of Total100.0

State appropriations include amounts for direct operating support, interest payments on capital projects and support of employee fringe benefits. Data Source: Annual Financial Report, Stony Brook University, 2022

 


Part III: The University's Impact on the Long Island Economy

There are a number of factors that contribute to Stony Brook’s large and diverse benefits to Long Island’s economy that provide an indirect economic stimulus to the regional economy far beyond that which appears in the university’s direct expenditures. These include the following:

  • Operating expenditures on diverse educational, research and related activities
  • Capital expenditure projects
  • The economic impact of students and their families from outside the region
  • Clinical practice activities that include expenditures by Stony Brook Dental Associates Inc., SB Clinical Practice Management Plan Inc., and the University Faculty Practice Corporations School of Medicine of SUNY Stony Brook
  • The multiplier effect associated with research institutions increases Stony Brook’s economic impact in terms of output, jobs and income.

Beyond these financial capital impacts, as a large public research university that offers very affordable in-state tuition, Stony Brook provides opportunities for students to graduate from college and graduate school programs who might not otherwise be able to do so. Thus, Stony Brook enhances human capital as well, educating students who become more productive workers and contribute enormously to the Long Island economy.

The approach used to estimate enhanced worker productivity effects is described in Appendix B.

 

A. Operating Expenditures

Stony Brook’s operating expenditures alone have a strong economic impact. In addition to the direct expenditures of $2.93 billion, the indirect effects increased this amount, so that the full economic impact of operating expenditures exceeds $4.07 billion. More than half of this economic impact, $2.51 billion, is attributable to hospital services. Other categories of expenditures, including instruction and research, have large impacts as well.

Table 5. Economic Impact of Operating Expenditures on Output
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryInstruction Direct Effect$396,543,586 Indirect Effect$111,111,513 Total Effect$507,655,099
CategoryResearch  Direct Effect$152,442,741 Indirect Effect$42,714,456 Total Effect$195,157,197
CategoryPublic Service  Direct Effect$30,179,096 Indirect Effect$8,456,183 Total Effect$38,635,279
CategoryAcademic Support  Direct Effect$75,386,398 Indirect Effect$23,799,486 Total Effect$99,185,884
CategoryStudent Services  Direct Effect$66,723,370 Indirect Effect$18,695,888 Total Effect$85,419,258
CategoryInstitutional Support  Direct Effect$124,953,062 Indirect Effect$39,447,682 Total Effect$164,400,744
CategoryOperation & Maintenance  Direct Effect$107,907,239 Indirect Effect $42,882,337 Total Effect$150,789,576
Category Scholarships & Fellowships Direct Effect$52,672,207 Indirect Effect$14,758,752 Total Effect$67,430,959
CategoryAuxiliary Enterprises  Direct Effect$88,919,914 Indirect Effect$35,843,617 Total Effect$124,763,531
CategoryHospital & Clinical Services  Direct Effect$1,739,108,269* Indirect Effect$765,903,282 Total Effect$2,505,011,551
CategoryOther Expenses & Deductions  Direct Effect$38,684,021 Indirect Effect$10,839,263 Total Effect$49,523,284
CategoryInterest Expenses  Direct Effect$55,893,400 Indirect Effect$29,640,270 Total Effect$85,533,670
CategoryTotal  Direct Effect$2,929,413,303* Indirect Effect$1,144,092,729 Total Effect$4,073,506,032

* Excludes $147,935,609 payment to University Faculty Practice Corporations (UFPC), which is counted in clinical activities below (see Table 9). Amounts above report expenditures on operations and maintenance, depreciation and interest as discrete categories and do not allocate these expenses to other functional areas.

 

B. Capital Expenditures

Table 6 indicates that construction spending by Stony Brook was approximately $58.8 million in 2022. Expenditures on land, equipment and interest payments account for an additional $63.8 million, making total capital expenditures of nearly $123 million in 2022. In addition to these direct expenditures, multiplier effects increase output by more than $47 million, so that the total economic impact of capital expenditures by Stony Brook was more than $169.8 million in 2022.

Table 6. Economic Impact of Capital Expenditures on Output
Category Direct Efect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryConstruction Direct Efect$58,795,298 Indirect Effect$23,212,384 Total Effect$82,007,682
CategoryEquipment Direct Efect$55,306,553 Indirect Effect$21,116,042 Total Effect$76,422,595
CategoryLand Direct Efect$6,941,409 Indirect Effect$2,089,364 Total Effect$9,030,773
CategoryInterest Expenses Direct Efect$1,559,037 Indirect Effect$826,757 Total Effect$2,385,794
CategoryTotal Direct Efect$122,602,297 Indirect Effect$47,244,547 Total Effect$169,846,844

 

C. Off-Budget Family Expenses

Much of the economic impact of student education and living is contained in the university’s financial statements, especially in the tuition, dormitory income and Faculty Student Association funds. But a large part of student expenses, especially for those students who live off campus, is not captured in university spending.

These student and family expenses include off-campus meals and entertainment, clothing and other retail purchases, and family visitation expenses. Table 7 estimates these additional annual costs for the average student. The analysis assumes that the average full-time student will receive overnight visitors once per year and that the average student will spend approximately $1,500 during that time on outside meals, retail expenditures, entertainment and services.

As the table indicates, off-budget family expenses totaled more than $288 million and led to indirect effects on output of an additional $86.4 million, for a total economic impact of more than $374 million.

Table 7. Economic Impact of Off-Budget Family Expenses on Output
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryFamily Expenses Direct Effect$288,153,893 Indirect Effect$86,446,168 Total Effect$374,600,061

 

D. Enhanced Worker Productivity

State colleges and universities offer lower in-state tuition than private universities. An additional attraction is that these schools appeal to commuters, who can enjoy further savings by avoiding on-campus housing and related costs. So, geographic proximity is an important consideration. Indeed, well-established literature finds that travel distance to public colleges and universities affects student enrollments and graduations. Specifically, greater distance has been found to significantly reduce enrollment.

By virtue of its location, Stony Brook University provides educational opportunities to residents of Long Island and downstate New York. If Stony Brook were unavailable, many students would have to travel significantly farther to attend a public university. For example, Stony Brook is about 30 miles from SUNY Old Westbury, 25 miles from Farmingdale State College and more than 50 miles from The City University of New York schools. Private universities are much more expensive and would not be an option for many students.

Based upon a review of the available literature on students’ distance from college and the effects of distance on enrollment, it is conservatively estimated that but for the availability of Stony Brook University, 5 percent of its students each year would not have graduated from college. This is a very conservative assumption, given estimates from the literature (references below). These college graduates will enjoy a significantly higher wage than high school graduates. Available evidence from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that four-year college graduates earn on average about $25,000 more per year than high school graduates. And this will be true for such students in each of Stony Brook’s graduating classes. If individuals work on average for 40 years, this increased earnings productivity will accrue for 5 percent of students in each of Stony Brook’s prior 40 years of graduating classes.

Similar calculations were made to estimate the additional benefits from education beyond college degrees, again assuming that but for the availability of Stony Brook University, more than 9 percent of these students with advanced degrees (master’s, doctorates and professional degrees) would not have received these degrees and the resulting higher incomes, but would have stopped after having obtained their undergraduate degrees.

The effects of enhanced human capital and worker productivity are substantial. As Table 8 demonstrates, enhanced worker productivity directly increased output by $2.60 billion in 2022 and with the added indirect effect of $780 million, the total effect of enhanced worker productivity on economic output was $3.38 billion.

Table 8. Economic Impact of Enhanced Worker Productivity on Output
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryWorker Productivity Direct Effect$2,601,280,302 Indirect Effect$780,384,091 Total Effect$3,381,664,393

 

E. Expenditures from Clinical Activities

As Table 9 indicates, clinical activities increased total economic output by nearly $935 million in 2022.

Table 9. Economic Impact of Clinical Activities on Output
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryTotal Clinical Activities Direct Effect$713,881,805 Indirect Effect$220,645,507 Total Effect$934,527,312

Part IV: The University's Impact on Earnings

In addition to increasing economic output, Stony Brook University adds substantially to earnings of workers in the region. Tables 10-14 show the effects of operating expenditures, capital expenditures, off-budget family expenditures, enhanced worker productivity and clinical activities on earnings.

The tables reveal that each category leads to substantially higher earnings:

  • Operating expenditures ($1.4 billion)
  • Capital expenditures ($46.6 million)
  • Off-budget family expenses ($100.6 million)
  • Enhanced worker productivity ($1.4 billion)
  • Clinical activities ($435.3 million)
Table 10. Economic Impact of Operating Expenditures on Earnings
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryInstruction Direct Effect$155,464,166 Indirect Effect$43,561,059 Total Effect$199,025,225
CategoryResearch  Direct Effect$59,764,890 Indirect Effect$16,746,122 Total Effect$76,511,012
CategoryPublic Service  Direct Effect$11,831,658 Indirect Effect$3,315,231 Total Effect$15,146,889
CategoryAcademic Support  Direct Effect$29,004,024 Indirect Effect$9,156,570 Total Effect$38,160,594
CategoryStudent Services  Direct Effect$26,158,772 Indirect Effect$7,329,688 Total Effect$33,488,460
CategoryInstitutional Support  Direct Effect$48,074,211 Indirect Effect$15,177,029 Total Effect$63,251,240
CategoryOperation & Maintenance  Direct Effect$25,791,483 Indirect Effect$10,249,535 Total Effect$36,041,018
Category Scholarships & Fellowships Direct Effect$20,650,040 Indirect Effect$5,786,141 Total Effect$26,436,181
CategoryAuxiliary Enterprises  Direct Effect$25,723,465 Indirect Effect$10,369,129 Total Effect$36,092,594
CategoryHospital Services  Direct Effect$579,421,035 Indirect Effect$255,177,024 Total Effect$834,598,059
CategoryOther Expenses & Deductions  Direct Effect$15,165,998 Indirect Effect$4,249,513 Total Effect$19,415,511
CategoryInterest Expenses  Direct Effect$19,591,727 Indirect Effect$10,389,493 Total Effect$29,981,220
CategoryTotal  Direct Effect$1,016,641,469 Indirect Effect$391,506,534 Total Effect$1,408,148,003
Table 11. Economic Impact of Capital Expenditures on Earnings
Category Direct Efect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryConstruction Direct Efect$20,735,164 Indirect Effect$8,186,243 Total Effect$28,921,407
CategoryEquipment Direct Efect$11,094,932 Indirect Effect$4,236,045 Total Effect$15,330,977
CategoryLand Direct Efect$1,185,535 Indirect Effect$356,846 Total Effect$1,542,381
CategoryInterest Expenses Direct Efect$536,285 Indirect Effect$284,392 Total Effect$820,677
CategoryTotal Direct Efect$33,551,916 Indirect Effect$13,063,526 Total Effect$46,615,442
Table 12. Economic Impact of Off-Budget Family Expenses on Earnings
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryFamily Expenses Direct Effect$77,389,903 Indirect Effect$23,216,971 Total Effect$100,606,874
Table 13. Economic Impact of Enhanced Worker Productivity on Earnings
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryWorker Productivity Direct Effect$1,098,626,994 Indirect Effect$329,588,098 Total Effect$1,428,215,092
Table 14. Economic Impact of Clinical Activities on Earnings
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryTotal Clinical Activities Direct Effect$332,577,855 Indirect Effect$102,699,867 Total Effect$435,277,722

 


Part V: The University's Impact on Jobs

Stony Brook University supports many jobs. Tables 15-19 show the effects of operating expenditures, capital expenditures, off-budget family expenditures, enhanced worker productivity and clinical activities on jobs.

The tables reveal that each category creates large numbers of jobs:

  • Operating expenditures (24,415)
  • Capital expenditures (688)
  • Off-budget family expenses (2,547)
  • Enhanced worker productivity (22,996)
  • Clinical Activities (4,380)
Table 15. Economic Impact of Operating Expenditures on Jobs
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryInstruction Direct Effect3,458 Indirect Effect969 Total Effect4,427
CategoryResearch  Direct Effect1,329 Indirect Effect372 Total Effect1,701
CategoryPublic Service  Direct Effect263 Indirect Effect74 Total Effect337
CategoryAcademic Support  Direct Effect763 Indirect Effect241 Total Effect1,004
CategoryStudent Services  Direct Effect582 Indirect Effect163 Total Effect745
CategoryInstitutional Support  Direct Effect1,265 Indirect Effect399 Total Effect1,664
CategoryOperation & Maintenance  Direct Effect462 Indirect Effect184 Total Effect646
Category Scholarships & Fellowships Direct Effect459 Indirect Effect129 Total Effect588
CategoryAuxiliary Enterprises  Direct Effect682 Indirect Effect275 Total Effect957
CategoryHospital Services  Direct Effect7,976 Indirect Effect3,512 Total Effect11,488
CategoryOther Expenses & Deductions  Direct Effect337 Indirect Effect95 Total Effect432
CategoryInterest Expenses  Direct Effect278 Indirect Effect148 Total Effect426
CategoryTotal  Direct Effect17,854 Indirect Effect6,561 Total Effect24,415
Table 16. Economic Impact of Capital Expenditures on Jobs
Category Direct Efect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryConstruction Direct Efect305 Indirect Effect120 Total Effect425
CategoryEquipment Direct Efect143 Indirect Effect55 Total Effect198
CategoryLand Direct Efect41 Indirect Effect12 Total Effect53
CategoryInterest Expenses Direct Efect8 Indirect Effect4 Total Effect12
CategoryTotal Direct Efect497 Indirect Effect191 Total Effect688
Table 17. Economic Impact of Off-Budget Family Expenses on Jobs
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryOff-Budget Family Expenses Direct Effect1,959 Indirect Effect588 Total Effect2,547
Table 18. Economic Impact of Enhanced Worker Productivity on Jobs
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryWorker Productivity Direct Effect17,689 Indirect Effect5,307 Total Effect22,996
Table 19. Economic Impact of Clinical Activities on Jobs
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryEconomic Development Direct Effect3,346 Indirect Effect1,034 Total Effect4,380

 

 


Part VI: Putting it All Together - Aggregate Effects

A. Economic Impact on Long Island

Table 20 combines the results reported earlier to show aggregate effects on output, earnings and jobs. The numbers are very large. In 2022, Stony Brook University increased aggregate economic output by $8.93 billion, increased aggregate earnings by $3.42 billion and supported 55,026 jobs. These numbers are more impressive considering that $8.93 billion represent about 3 percent of Long Island’s annual GDP.

Table 20. Aggregate Economic Impacts on Output, Earnings and Jobs 
  Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
 Economic Impact on Output
  Operating Expenditures (Table 5) Direct Effect$2,929,413,303 Indirect Effect $1,144,092,729 Total Effect$4,073,506,032
  Capital Expenditures (Table 6) Direct Effect$122,602,297 Indirect Effect$47,244,547 Total Effect $169,846,844
  Off-Budget Family Expenses (Table 7) Direct Effect $288,153,893 Indirect Effect$86,446,168 Total Effect $374,600,061
 Enhanced Worker Productivity (Table 8) Direct Effect $2,601,280,302 Indirect Effect $780,384,091 Total Effect $3,381,664,393
 Clinical Activities Expenses (Table 9) Direct Effect$713,881,805  Indirect Effect$220,645,507 Total Effect$934,527,312
  Grand Total Impact on Output Direct Effect $6,655,331,600 Indirect Effect $2,278,813,042 Total Effect $8,934,144,642
 Economic Impact on Earnings
 Operating Expenditures (Table 10) Direct Effect $1,016,641,469 Indirect Effect $391,506,534 Total Effect $1,408,148,003
 Capital Expenditures (Table 11)  Direct Effect$33,551,916 Indirect Effect $13,063,526 Total Effect $46,615,442
 Off-Budget Family Expenses (Table 12)  Direct Effect$77,389,903 Indirect Effect $23,216,971 Total Effect $100,606,874
 Enhanced Worker Productivity (Table 13) Direct Effect $1,098,626,994 Indirect Effect $329,588,098 Total Effect $1,428,215,092
 Clinical Activities (Table 14) Direct Effect$332,577,855 Indirect Effect$102,699,867 Total Effect$435,277,722
  Grand Total Impact on Earnings Direct Effect $2,558,788,138 Indirect Effect $860,074,997 Total Effect$3,418,863,133
 Economic Impact on Jobs
 Operating Expenditures (Table 15) Direct Effect17,854 Indirect Effect6,561 Total Effect24,415
 Capital Expenditures (Table 16) Direct Effect497 Indirect Effect191 Total Effect688
 Off-Budget Family Expenses (Table 17) Direct Effect1,959 Indirect Effect588 Total Effect2,547
 Enhanced Worker Productivity (Table 18) Direct Effect17,689 Indirect Effect5,307 Total Effect22,996
     Clinical Activities (Table 19) Direct Effect3,346 Indirect Effect1,034 Total Effect4,380
 Grand Total Impact on Jobs Direct Effect41,345 Indirect Effect13,681 Total Effect55,026

B. Economic Impact of Stony Brook Graduates Worldwide

Of course, the main mission of any institution of higher learning is to enhance human capital. And Stony Brook has done more than its share of that. Table 21 estimates the aggregate annual effect of all Stony Brook graduates on output, earnings and jobs supported. In 2022, Stony Brook graduates:

  • Increased aggregate economic output by $36.1 billion
  • Increased aggregate earnings by $2 billion
  • Supported 245,153 jobs
Table 21. Economic Impact of SBU Graduates on Output, Earnings and Jobs
Category Direct Effect Indirect Effect Total Effect
CategoryOutput Direct Effect$27,732,199,381 Indirect Effect$8,319,659,814 Total Effect$36,051,859,195
CategoryEarnings Direct Effect$11,712,441,299 Indirect Effect$3,513,732,390 Total Effect$15,226,173,689
CategoryJobs Direct Effect188,579 Indirect Effect56,574 Total Effect245,153

Note: Table 21 shows the economic impacts of increased earnings of all SBU graduates in a single year. It assumes individuals work for 40 years, so that these effects include graduates from the past 40 years.

 


Part VII: Apendices

APPENDIX A. Multiplier Methodology

The economic impact of Stony Brook University is assessed using input-output (I-O) models. An input-output model quantifies the flows of economic activity within a region. The model captures what each business or sector must purchase from every other sector to produce a dollar’s worth of goods or services. The economic impact of spending on a project consists of three components: direct, indirect and induced effects. Direct effects are quantified as the spending for the project itself; for example, the successful bid by a defense contractor to manufacture aircraft. In this example, indirect effects are the changes in sales, income or jobs in sectors within the region that supply goods and services to the aerospace sector. The increased need for drafting firms, tools, equipment and sheet metal resulting from the awarding of the contract is an indirect effect of project spending. Induced effects are the increased sales within the region from household spending of the income earned in the aerospace and other sectors that support the manufacturing of the aircraft. Contractor employees and workers on the project spend the income they earn on housing, utilities, groceries, etc. These represent induced effects. Because the project may require the hiring of additional employees and the region will be adding residents who will also spend, their effects on economic activity are quantified as well.

Multipliers are used to quantify all three effects — direct, indirect and induced. These multipliers are developed from input-output tables produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Since the 1970s, the BEA has produced regional I-O multipliers that quantify interindustry purchases resulting from changes in final demand. The multipliers produced by the model are customized to account for the economic activity in any set of contiguous U.S. counties. Multipliers show the total effect on economic activity resulting from a project. For example, a project costing $1 million might generate an economic output of $1.8 million once indirect and induced effects are added to the cost of the project itself. There are several measures of changes in total economic activity that one may estimate — gross output, earnings and employment.

Gross output is equal to the sum of the intermediate inputs and value added. It can also be measured as the sum of the intermediate inputs and final use. Gross output is a duplicative total in that goods and services will be counted multiple times if they are used in the production of other goods and services.

Earnings consist of wages, salaries and proprietors’ income. Employer contributions for health insurance are also included. Personal contributions to social insurance and employee pension plans are excluded because the model must account for only the portion of personal income that is currently available for households to spend.

Employment consists of a number of jobs that include both full-time and part-time workers.

 

APPENDIX B. Method for Calculating Enhanced Productivity Effects

State colleges and universities offer lower in-state tuition than private universities. But an additional attraction is that these schools appeal to commuters, who can enjoy further savings by avoiding on-campus housing and related costs. So, geographic proximity is an important consideration as well. Indeed, well-established literature finds that travel distance to public colleges and universities affects student enrollments and graduations. Specifically, greater distance has been found to reduce enrollment significantly (Alm and Winters, 2009; McConnell, 1965; Kariel, 1968; Ullis and Knowles, 1975; Leppel, 1993; Ordovensky, 1995; Desjardins, Dundar and Hendel, 1999; Ali, 2003; and Jepsen and Montgomery, 2009).

Stony Brook has many commuter students. If Stony Brook University were unavailable, many students would have to travel significantly farther to attend a public university. For example, Stony Brook is about 30 miles from SUNY Old Westbury, 25 miles from Farmingdale State College and more than 50 miles from The City University of New York schools. Private universities are much more expensive and would not be an option for many students.

Based upon a review of the available literature on students’ distance from college and the effects of distance on enrollment, it is conservatively estimated that but for the availability of Stony Brook University, 5 percent of its students each year would not have graduated from college. This is a very conservative assumption, given estimates from the literature (references below). These college graduates will enjoy a significantly higher wage than high school graduates. Available evidence from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that four-year college graduates earn on average about $25,000 more per year than high school graduates. And this will be true for such students in each of Stony Brook’s graduating classes. If individuals work on average for 40 years, this increased earnings productivity will accrue for 5 percent of students in each of Stony Brook’s prior 40 years of graduating classes.

Thus, total increased earnings for each year (EARNSTOT) may be estimated in the following equation as: 

EARNSTOT = PCTSTUDENTS*WAGEPREMIUM*∑STUDENTSi, i = 1… 40

Where:

PCTSTUDENTS = percent of students who would not have graduated college but for the availability of Stony Brook

WAGEPREMIUM = increased average annual earnings of college graduates vs. high school graduates

∑STUDENTSi = number of students graduating from Stony Brook over a 40-year period.

To calculate total economic impacts for output, earnings and jobs, the equation must be multiplied by the appropriate multipliers for each of these categories. We used the average values of RIMS multipliers across all industries for output, earnings and employment to obtain these values.

Similar calculations were made to estimate the additional benefits from education beyond college degrees, again assuming that but for the availability of Stony Brook University, 95 percent of these students with advanced degrees (master’s, doctorates and professional degrees) would not have obtained these degrees and the resulting higher incomes, but would have stopped after having obtained their undergraduate degrees. 

 


Part VIII: References

Ali, M.K. (2003). Analysis of enrollment: A spatial-interaction model. The Journal of Economics, 29(2), 67–86.

Alm, J. and Winters, J. (2009). Distance and intrastate college student migration. Economics of Education Review, 28, 728–738. Desjardins, S.L., Dundar, H. and Hendel, D.D. (1999). Modeling the college application process in a land-grant university.

Economics of Education Review, 18(1), 117–132.

Jepsen, C. and Montgomery, M. (2009). Miles to go before I learn: The effect of travel distance on the mature person's choice of a community college. Journal of Urban Economics, 65(1), 64-73.

Kariel, H.G. (1968). Student enrollment and spatial interaction. Annals of Regional Science, 2(1), 114–127.

Leppel, K. (1993). Logit estimation of a gravity model of the college enrollment decision. Research in Higher Education, 34(3), 387–398.

McConnell, H. (1965). Spatial variability of college enrollment as a function of migration potential. The Professional Geographer, 17(6), 29–37.

Ordovensky, J.F. (1995). Effects of institutional attributes on enrollment choice: Implications for postsecondary vocational education. Economics of Education Review, 14(4), 335–350.

Ullis, J.J. and Knowles, P.L. (1975). A study of the intrastate migration of Washington college freshmen: A further test of the gravity model. Annals of Regional Science, 9(1), 112–121.

 

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