Southern Utah University has significant economic impact in Utah’s southwest

Southern Utah University continues to be a significant economic factor in the state, and especially in its southwest area, according to a new report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.

The study was commissioned by the Utah System of Higher Education and details SUU’s regional and statewide economic contribution.

“Southern Utah University strengthens Utah and the Southwest Economic Region economies through high-quality education; institutional, student and visitor spending; and broad societal benefits,” report authors said.

The report found that SUU supported more than 5,000 jobs, $202 million in employee earnings, $298 million in gross domestic product (GDP) and $513 million in output (total sales) in fiscal year 2023.

“Southern Utah University has long focused on community impact, designing programs and leveraging resources to drive job creation and regional prosperity,” said SUU President Mindy Benson. “We are excited to now have the data that demonstrates the positive influence our campus community has across Southern Utah and the state.”

“SUU’s impact extends beyond education, driving jobs, earnings and overall economic activity through operations, capital and construction spending, and spending by out-of-region students and visitors,” said Andrea Brandley, senior education analyst at the Gardner Institute and lead author of the report. “SUU also strengthens workforce development and delivers broad societal benefits to students, employees and the community.”

Key findings from the report include the following:

• SUU enrolled over 15,000 students across over 150 undergraduate programs and 30 graduate and certificate programs during the 2022-23 academic year. SUU awarded 4,679 degrees and certificates. More than 60 percent of SUU graduates work in-state five years after graduation.

• SUU directly employed 2,687 individuals in FY 2023, making it the largest employer in Iron County, the third-largest employer in the Southwest Economic Region, and one of the top 50 employers statewide. Including indirect and induced jobs, SUU supports more than 5,000 jobs in the region, representing 3.1 percent of jobs regionwide.

• SUU supported $202 million in earnings, $298 million in GDP and $513 million in output regionwide. This constitutes 2.7 percent of regional earnings, 2.1 percent of regional GDP and 1.8 percent of total output in the Southwest Economic Region.

• SUU attracts many out-of-region visitors for events such as the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Utah Summer Games, athletic events, campus tours and commencement. These visitors spent an estimated $7 million in the Southwest Economic Region, further boosting local economic activity.