PULLMAN, WA — Washington State University generated nearly $4 billion in economic impact across Washington in 2024, according to a new economic impact report released this month.

The report, prepared by Community Attributes Inc., found the university’s total impact includes about $1.75 billion in direct institutional, student, and visitor spending, along with approximately $2.2 billion in indirect and induced impacts statewide. The analysis also showed that for every dollar in state funding received, the university generated nearly $12 in economic impact.

According to the report, Washington State University supported about 20,000 jobs and more than $1.6 billion in labor income across Washington during 2024. The university employs more than 9,900 full- and part-time workers whose earnings are spent locally in 37 of the state’s 39 counties.

The report also noted that nearly 500,000 people visited WSU locations in 2024 for campus visits, commencement ceremonies, athletic events, and other activities, contributing to local economies.

WSU’s research activity was another major contributor, with research expenditures exceeding $403 million in 2024. Over the past decade, the university has averaged close to $400 million per year in research spending when adjusted for inflation, according to the report. Research efforts have also led to commercialization, generating more than $75 million in inflation-adjusted revenue from 2015 through 2024.

The report highlighted the university’s role in workforce development, noting that roughly one-third of WSU graduates are first-generation college students and that more than 85% of bachelor’s degree recipients come from within Washington.

WSU’s overall economic impact has grown since a previous study in 2015, which estimated the university generated more than $3.4 billion for the state’s economy at that time.