St. Cloud Times — Dollars and cents are often an agreeable way to measure things. Witness the report this week about the economic impact of the 30 colleges and seven universities that make up the Minnesota State system.
Including St. Cloud State University and St. Cloud Technical and Community College, the system formerly known as MnSCU made $8 billion in economic contributions statewide for fiscal 2017.
St. Cloud State’s share topped $686 million, bolstered by its 1,400 employees. The technical and community college contributed almost $189 million and employs 334 people.
From professors to students, from administrators to cleaning crews, the system supports or sustains 67,717 jobs – about one out of every 55 jobs statewide.
In fact, the study, conducted by Parker Philips, concluded Minnesota State supports or sustains $1 out of every $42 in Minnesota’s economy and that 450,000 of its residents are alumni.
