A study finds that CSU has grown into an economic force at the edge of downtown Cleveland.
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The new student center at Cleveland State University was part of $286 million in construction spending between 2009 and 2013. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland State University does more than launch the careers of Greater Clevelanders, who make up the vast majority of its student body.
The 17,000-student university also pours nearly $680 million into the local economy through jobs, taxes, building projects and purchases.
That spending is detailed in an economic development report the university released today. It describes an economic engine thrumming on the edge of downtown.
"It's a really impressive impact," said Candi Clouse, a principal author of The Economic Impact of Cleveland State University. The other authors are her colleagues at CSU's Center for Economic Development, Ziona Austrian and Serena Alexander.
CSU, which often conducts economic impact studies for other industries and institutions, last examined itself in the early 2000s, Clouse said. The results do not readily compare because the methodology has changed, she added.
CSU also does not easily compare with international universities, such as Case Western Reserve, because they serve different markets.
"We have our own niche," Clouse said. "We're an urban university and we support the regional workforce."
Indeed, it's hard to overstate the localness of CSU. Eighty percent of its more than 120,000 graduates live in Northeast Ohio, the study found.
By examining the 2013-2014 academic year, researchers are also able to report that:
- CSU employs 1,518 full-time workers
- It spends about $425 million annually on faculty, staff, services and supplies
- When spending by CSU suppliers is calculated, the university's economic impact rises to $679 million
- The state appropriation of $65 million represents less than 30 percent of CSU's revenues
- From that public investment, the university generated $308 million in household income for Northeast Ohio, a fivefold return
Austrian, the center's director, said the study did not capture the "multiplying effect" of private development to serve more than 2,000 students now living on campus. New apartments, town homes, shops and restaurants have sprouted up in the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, CSU tuition --about $9,500 this year for in-state students--still ranks among the most affordable for Ohio's public universities.
