Measuring University Contributions to Regional Economies: A Discussion of Guidelines for Enhancing Credibility

In light of tight state fiscal accounts, increased competition among all government service providers for scarce resources, and a poorly performing national economy, public universities are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their worth to regional or statewide economies.  This has resulted in a proliferation of university economic impact studies.This paper is a guide to assist public university economic impact practitioners plan, structure, evaluate, and disseminate higher education economic information that can be used for policy development, general planning, and overall university relations.  It provides some basic considerations, cautions, and checks that university economic impact studies should keep in mind when engaging in this activity.