Economic Impact of the UW on Wisconsin

From creating thousands of jobs (which, in turn, create tax revenue), to educating the population and breeding successful entrepreneurs, the economic impact of the UW on Wisconsin is truly immeasurable. Our changing economic times require advancement in the knowledge industry, and universities are at the center of that movement.¹

Contributions to Wisconsin

• The business school’s Executive education program is ranked 15th in the U.S. and 26th in the world by the Financial Times. This program improves the work of executives in Wisconsin, making them more productive contributors to the state’s economy.
• The UW’s operating budget is more than $1 billion; much of this money gets spent in-state.²
• UW-Madison’s total statewide economic impact for 2003 was $4.66 billion, or 2.7 percent of Wisconsin’s gross state product.³
• University Research Park in Madison supports 4,000 jobs and has an annual payroll of $240 million.⁴
• The Office of Corporate Relations at UW-Madison set up the New Business Start-Up Initiative online to help business around the state get underway and foster their growth and development, contributing greatly to Wisconsin’s economy.⁵
• UW sports and cultural event visitors spend over $726 million in the state annually.
• The UW System produces 26,000 professional graduates each year to join the Wisconsin workforce.
• A UW graduate will likely earn $1 million more in their lifetime than a high school graduate. This number doubles for doctoral or professional graduates.⁶

1 University of Wisconsin Office of Corporate Relations. Oct. 4, 2005. www.corprelations.wisc.edu/buswire/leadstory/OCRar0405.pdf.

2 University of Wisconsin Office of Corporate Relations. Oct. 3, 2005. www.corprelations.wisc.edu/docs/facts.pdf.

3 University of Wisconsin-Madison News Archives, Oct. 10 2005. www.news.wisc.edu/8573.html.

4 Wisconsin Alumni Association, “Points of Pride.” University of Wisconsin-Madison: Madison, Wis, 2005.

5 University of Wisconsin Office of Corporate Relations. Oct. 4, 2005..

6 UW System Economic Impact Report. Oct. 10, 2005. www.wisconsin.edu/impact/.