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It’s no secret that Northern Arizona University is one of the main economic engines in Flagstaff. It is the largest single employer in Flagstaff, the home of cutting-edge research across a wide range of disciplines, and is a key factor in our reputation as a hub for the bioscience sector.
But the lasting effect of NAU on our state’s economy came into sharp focus recently through a presentation by NAU President Rita Hartung Cheng to the Arizona Board of Regents.
She was giving a preview of two reports coming out soon from the university – an assessment of its economic impact, done by the Arizona Rural Policy Institute, a unit of NAU’s Alliance Bank Outreach Center, and a study by Gallup Inc. on the attitudes of NAU’s alumni.
President Cheng’s presentation noted that most NAU graduates remain in the state after graduation. More than 84% of the 2017 graduates are currently employed in Arizona, and about 99,000 alumni reside in the state.
Gallup’s research also indicated those alumni appreciate their education: 89% of NAU undergraduate alumni and 91% of postgraduate alumni said that if they had to do it all over again, they would still attend NAU to obtain their degree.
In terms of its own employment, the NAU website shows that the university directly provides work for more than 3,500 faculty members and staff. But the school’s upcoming economic impact report indicates that 22,000 jobs are supported by NAU throughout Arizona.
Together with other factors, this brings NAU’s statewide economic impact to about $2.5 billion annually, up $500 million from three years ago.
We anticipate that NAU’s significance to our local and statewide economy will continue to grow. The university’s development plan, specifically the construction of a $139 million multi-discipline STEM Building, bodes well for its having an outsized role in our economic vitality for years to come. |
