SPECIAL REPORT
Aerial views of SUNY Oswego campus. Photos courtesy of SUNY Oswego
Students Are Back in Town — and So Is the Money They Bring to Local Economy SUNY Oswego has far-reaching economic impact By Steve Yablonski
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ot only does SUNY Oswego influence the lives of its students and graduates — its economic impact in the region is massive. According to an economic impact study report, SUNY Oswego graduates are not only influencers in their respective fields — they are key drivers of SUNY Oswego’s economic impact on the Central New York region. Thousands of former SUNY Oswego students are currently employed in
the Central New York region. As a whole, SUNY Oswego’s presence in the region had a total economic impact in fiscal year 2019-20 of $419.4 million and supported 5,541 regional jobs. This means that one out of every 82 jobs in the Central New York region is supported by the activities of SUNY Oswego and its students. According to SUNY Oswego Officer in Charge Mary C. Toale, the last
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economic impact report was completed in 2010 and studied SUNY Oswego’s 2008-2009 impact on the regional and statewide communities. “This report, much like our recently conducted report that assessed our economic impact in the 2019-2020 fiscal year, points to SUNY Oswego as a thriving, sustainable educational institution but also an economic entity that drives the economy of Central and Upstate New York,” said Toale. Not covered in the 2010 study was the impact of SUNY Oswego’s alumni. “Today, thousands of former SUNY Oswego students are employed in the Central New York region,” said Mary Canale, vice president for development and alumni engagement. “As a result of their education from SUNY Oswego, the students receive higher earnings and increase the productivity of the businesses that employ them.” In fiscal year 2019-20, SUNY Oswego alumni generated $203.3 million in added income for the regional economy, which is equivalent to supporting 2,565 jobs, the report stated. “These studies effectively show how SUNY Oswego influences both the lives of its students and the regional
