UNK completes economic impact study

An economic impact study conducted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney shows the University directly contributes $115 million a year to the Kearney area.

UNK Economist Dr. Bree Dority says lots of things had to be taken into account, including students and the bookstore.

"There's UNK, there's UNK units, so like the bookstore, the dining services, the alumni foundation. But then there's also the students, and then there's the visitors of the faculty here at UNK."

The study, which was done using IMPLAN software and data from fiscal year 2009-2010, shows university and university related-spending was over $164 million.

Of that amount, about half represented direct expenditures in the Kearney area that had multiplier effects.

Dr. Dority explains the multiplier effect and its relationship to money spent locally.

"Once we had the amount that's spent locally, then that money trickles through the economy. And so then in the end we found that for every dollar spent here in the local economy it generates an additional 41 cents."

Of the more than $164 million linked to university and university related spending, UNK students accounted for over 75 million with UNK faculty/staff payroll and physical plant expenditures representing almost 69 million.

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