For the 2023-24 fiscal year, Enterprise State Community College made a total economic impact of $111.6 million, or the equivalent of 1,221 jobs.

“This past year has been one of major growth at the College,” ESCC President Danny Long said. “We added new programs that offer our students, including dual enrollment students, the opportunity to receive essential training for great careers. We saw the start of construction of the first facilities built on our Enterprise campus in almost 30 years. We also saw one of the largest increases in our total fall enrollment numbers in decades.”

“Because of our community’s investment in Enterprise State, we have been able to meet workforce needs and prepare our students for success after they transfer. This report shows just how that investment pays off not only for our community but also for our state,” he said.

According to a report from Lightcast, Enterprise State’s economic impact was calculated from operations, construction, and student spending as well as alumni productivity within the workforce for the fiscal year.

Total Economic Impact Analysis:

• Alumni impact provided $84.7 million in added income to the College’s service area, a similar impact to hosting the World Series 13 times.
• Operations spending for the College provided $15.3 million in added income.
• College construction spending impact for the 2023-24 fiscal year was around $6.4 million, which included work on the new Performing Arts Center and Workforce Training Center as well as other facilities renovation projects on both campuses.
• Student spending added $5.2 million in additional income to the service areas as well.

The report once again found that ESCC “is a strong investment” that provides $324 million in total benefits to society, which includes added student and business income, added income from college activities, and social savings.

“Our students and graduates are working, earning, and reinvesting in Alabama’s communities,” said Alabama Community College System Chancellor Jimmy H. Baker said in a release from the system. “Businesses across the state rely on them to keep operations strong. No other entity has a greater reach in education and workforce training, and we are committed to ensuring every student leaves our colleges prepared to contribute to their communities, their industries, and Alabama’s economic growth.”

In addition to a report on the impact of ESCC, Lightcast released economic impact information for the Alabama Community College System. According to Lightcast’s state report, ACCS added $8.1 billion to Alabama’s economy, an amount equal to three percent of the Alabama’s total gross state product or the equivalent of 114,333 jobs in the state.

Lightcast, a global leader in labor market analytics for colleges and universities, analyzed data using FY2023-24 academic and financial reports from Alabama’s community and technical colleges, as well industry and employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau.