The study was conducted by Emsi, an international labor market analytics firm, and presented to Southeast’s Board of Governors in February. The study divided the impact into two components: the economic impact and the investment impact.

Measuring SEMO’s Economic Impact

The analysis of Southeast’s economic impact measured how much the University spends in operations and construction annually, how much students contribute to the local economy, how much visitors to the University spend, and the impact of alumni employed in Missouri. The results found SEMO contributes $904 million annually to the Missouri economy, including $14 million spent by students and an alumni workforce that amounted to $770.6 million in added income. Expressed in terms of jobs, Southeast’s impact supported 13,311 jobs annually. 

“The results are important because they show Southeast Missouri State is an engine for economic growth in Missouri,” said Southeast President Dr. Carlos Vargas. “We are proud to help prepare our region’s workforce. Having data that show Southeast creates a significant positive impact on the business community and generates a return on investment to those who invest in us means we are influencing both the lives of our students as well as the state economy.” 

Measuring SEMO’s Investment Impact

The investment analysis looked at the dollars coming into Southeast by students and taxpayers. The study found Southeast students will receive a stream of higher future earnings that will continue to grow throughout their working lives. SEMO graduates will earn about $30,000 more annually than someone with a high school diploma and about $20,000 more than someone with an associate degree.   

“For every dollar a student invests in their Southeast education,” said Vargas, “they’ll gain $7.50 back in lifetime earnings. In context when you look at that compared to other university impact studies, it’s well above the high mark of $6.50.” 

In fact, SEMO students on average have an annual return of 22.8%. That’s double the average 30-year annual return for the stock market. Taxpayers have a similarly good return on their investment in Southeast. For every dollar of public money invested in Southeast, taxpayers will receive $2.10 over the course of students’ working lives, meaning the University generates more tax dollars than it takes.

“We tell students we are a smart investment, and the study demonstrates this,” said Vargas, “We are proud to contribute value to Missouri, to be a partner to business and economic growth, and most importantly, to help our students achieve the futures they want.” 

For additional information on the study, visit semo.edu/economic.