Michigan's public universities have a $24 billion economic impact on the state including $14.4 billion in direct spending and 71,000 full-time-equivalent jobs, according to a study by East Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group LLC. The study, released yesterday and commissioned by the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan, found the state's 15 public universities in fiscal 2012 were responsible for $7 billion in payroll spending plus $3.1 billion in non-payroll goods and services, and their collective student body spent a combined $4.3 billion over the same period. That includes about $4.7 billion in payroll and non-payroll spending for the five-county region of Southeast Michigan, which was home to just under 128,000 of Michigan's 301,470 students in fall 2012, according to the Anderson report. Public universities in that region include Wayne State University, Oakland University, Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan and the University of Michigan-Dearborn. "Whether it's the investment of Wayne State in student housing spurring growth in Detroit's Cass Corridor, alumni creating jobs in Marquette, research at (UM) encouraging entrepreneurial professors to create new companies or new classroom facilities in downtown Grand Rapids…Michigan's investment in higher education pays off all over our state," council Executive Director Mike Boulus said in a statement today. The report also estimates the universities indirectly support about $9.5 billion in spending and 51,000 jobs, over and above their own payrolls, for 122,000 jobs statewide.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20131210/NEWS/131219989/report-michigan-s-15-public-universities-have-24b-economic-impact-in#
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013312100079
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131210/SCHOOLS/312100094/-1/OPINION0351/Michigan-s-public-universities-contribute-24M-state-s-economy-report-says
http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/12/check_our_database_for_public.html