San Diego and Imperial County Community Colleges Have $10 Billion Economic Impact on Region

A recent study found that community colleges in San Diego and Imperial counties had a $10 billion economic impact on the region – a financial boost equivalent to the spending generated by hosting 28 Super Bowls.

The 10 community colleges in the region support more than 100,000 jobs or about one out of every 23 jobs in the two-county area. The colleges' economic impact is reflected in the jobs that graduates attain in high-demand industries because of their education, the cost of running the institutions and paying more than 11,000 employees, and the cost of construction at the college campuses.

Lightcast, a leading provider of economic impact and labor market data to educational institutions and workforce planners, conducted the study. It was based on data from the 2021-2022 academic year from the community colleges in San Diego and Imperial counties: Cuyamaca College, Grossmont College, Imperial Valley College, MiraCosta College, Palomar College, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College, San Diego College of Continuing Education, and Southwestern College.

"The positive impact of community colleges in the region cannot be understated," said Star Rivera-Lacey, Superintendent/President of Palomar College and chair of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association (SDICCCA), which commissioned the survey. "Our economic impact is significant, as is the work we do each day to transform the lives of our students through education and training."

The complete SDICCCA Economic Impact Report can be found at this webpage.