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Delgado Community College Presents Economic Value Report, ‘A Century of Service’
January 27, 2022
A study released today by Delgado Community College, “A Century of Service: The Economic Value of Delgado Community College,” shows that the century-old institution has a $588.1 million impact annually in the greater New Orleans region.
This study measures the economic impacts created by Delgado on the business community and the benefits the college generates in return for the investments made by its key stakeholder groups: students, taxpayers and society.
Delgado’s $588.1 million annual economic impact is a result of $95.4 million in operational spending, $3.5 million in construction spending, $122.5 million in student spending and $366.8 million in added alumni income, according to the study conducted by Emsi, a labor market analytics firm, using data from the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
Delgado’s total impact can also be expressed in terms of jobs supported. The study shows that the $588.1 million annual impact supported 10,059 regional jobs, using the jobs-to-sales ratios specific to each industry in the region. This means that one out of every 90 jobs in Delgado’s service area is supported by the activities of Delgado and its students.
The study also shows excellent returns on investment in Delgado, highlighting its value as a regional economic powerhouse based on its higher education and workforce development activities.
According to the study, Delgado served 32,631 students and employed 1,260 faculty and staff in 2019-2020.
For every dollar they invested in Delgado during fiscal year 2019-2020, students will gain $5.30 in future earnings, according to the study. Taxpayers will gain $6.80 over the course of students’ working lives for every public dollar invested in Delgado. Society gains $10.60 in added income and social savings for each dollar invested in Delgado.
The study also finds that Delgado associate degree graduates earn an average of $10,200 more in annual income than people with a high school degree or equivalent.
The study demonstrates that Delgado creates value from multiple perspectives. The college benefits regional businesses by increasing consumer spending in the region and supplying a steady flow of qualified, trained workers to the workforce. Delgado enriches the lives of students by raising their lifetime earnings and helping them achieve their individual potential. The college benefits state taxpayers through increased tax receipts and a reduced demand for government-supported social services. Finally, Delgado benefits society as a whole in Louisiana by creating a more prosperous economy and generating a variety of savings through the improved lifestyles of students and their families.
“For 100 years, Delgado has remained true to our mission of providing post-secondary education that is relevant and positions graduates for rewarding careers in our region’s key industries. We communicate constantly with our business and industry partners and public policymakers to ensure that we provide relevant, world-class training. Our founder, Isaac Delgado, was a successful, forward-thinking businessman. When he provided $800,000 to establish the trades school that became a college, his bequest produced today’s economic powerhouse for the region.” -- Dr. Larissa Littleton Steib, Delgado Chancellor
“This report confirms what so many already know: Delgado Community College is an essential part of our region’s economy. For over 100 years, Delgado has prepared the people of Greater New Orleans for successful careers, and now we can explicitly see the significant economic benefit this brings to the region.” -- Michael Hecht, President and CEO, Greater New Orleans, Inc.
“It comes as no surprise that Delgado has had such a profound influence on the economy of our greater New Orleans region. But what is truly remarkable is that their economic impact only tells part of the story. For a century, countless individuals and families have had their lives enriched by the resources, programs, and talent that Delgado has produced. I am particularly proud of the partnerships that the Greater New Orleans Foundation and Delgado have developed: from our New Orleans Works program that has trained hundreds of medical assistants for our hospitals to our partnership building a health sciences industry cluster as part of the BioDistrict New Orleans, Delgado and the Foundation are true community partners.” -- Andy Kopplin, President and CEO, Greater New Orleans Foundation
“Delgado provides excellent opportunities for today’s business professionals with such diverse continuing education programming. We are proud to support Delgado Community College’s initiatives in higher education and professional development at an affordable cost to our community members.” -- Sandra Lombana Lindquist, President and CEO, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce
“The Jefferson Chamber of Commerce is honored to partner with Delgado Community College in building an educated workforce for our region. This Economic Value Report is a testament to Delgado’s hard work, dedication, and successful partnership with the business community.” -- Ruth Lawson, President, Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
The following resources are available online:
Executive summary of the Delgado economic impact study.
Fact sheet about the study.
Delgado Community College celebrates 100 years of service to the New Orleans region in 2021-22. The oldest and largest community college in Louisiana, Delgado provides instruction online and at seven locations. Delgado offers students the most comprehensive array of education and training services available in the New Orleans region. Additionally, Delgado has articulation agreements with most of the state’s four-year colleges and universities that allow students to transfer their Delgado credits to bachelor’s degree programs. Workforce development is a priority at Delgado, hence the college’s well-known motto: “Education that works!” www.dcc.edu