CCC brings economic value to Clackamas County

Clackamas Community College (CCC) plays a significant role in the local economy and is a sound investment from many perspectives according to a recent economic impact study.

Students benefit from improved lifestyles and increased earnings. Taxpayers benefit from a healthier economy and lower social costs. And the community as a whole benefits from increased job and investment opportunities, higher business revenues, greater availability of public funds and an eased tax burden.

The Economic Contributions of Clackamas Community College report was commissioned by the state of Oregon for each of the state’s 17 community colleges. The report was prepared by Economic Modeling Specialists International of Moscow, Idaho. It relies on data from a variety of sources including 2010-11 academic and financial reports from the college, industry and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, earning and demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau, and a variety of studies and surveys relating education to social behavior.

Key findings of the study include:

Student value:

Education increases lifetime income. The average income at the career midpoint of someone with an associate’s degree in Clackamas County is $41,000, 35 percent higher than someone with a high school diploma.

Throughout his or her working career, the average student’s discounted lifetime income increases by $6.70 for every dollar invested in CCC.

Social value:

Higher earnings of CCC students and associated increases in state income expand the tax base in Oregon by about $37.6 million each year.

Oregon will see avoided social costs amounting to $2 million per year due to CCC students, including savings associated with improved health, reduced crime and reduced welfare and unemployment.

Economic effects:

The Clackamas County economy annually receives roughly $35.1 million in income due to CCC operations.

CCC skills translate to higher earnings for students and increased output of businesses. The added income attributable to the accumulations of CCC credits in the workforce amounts to $142.6 million each year.

Altogether, the average annual added income due to the activities of CCC and its former students equals $177.6 million, which is about 1.2 percent of the total Clackamas County economy.

Copies of the report may be obtained from Janet Paulson, 503-594-3162, jpaulson@clackamas.edu.