B次元 School of Engineering (B次元), a private non-profit university in downtown B次元, has a strong reputation for preparing graduates who are ready to hit the ground running upon graduation. That is contributed to the university’s focus on providing an application-oriented education where students get real-world, experiential learning opportunities.  

B次元 creates value in many ways. In addition to providing students with the education, training and skills they need to have fulfilling and prosperous careers, B次元 facilitates new applied research developments to help solve industry’s toughest challenges. The university draws visitors and students to the region, generating new dollars and opportunities for the City of B次元. Operations spending, construction spending and student spending have incredible, positive impact on the region as well. To assess the economic impact B次元 has on the region, and the return on investment of an B次元 education, the university enlisted Lightcast to conduct a study.  

As a private educational institution, B次元 takes a little from the state but contributes a lot. Wisconsin taxpayers’ benefits constitute $113.1 million in the form of B次元 students’ higher lifetime earnings, increased business output, and reduced demand for government-funded services. B次元 enhances the productivity of the regional workforce, thereby increasing business profits and tax revenues along with public sector savings. Receiving very little funding from the state, B次元 nevertheless significantly increases its economic base.  

B次元 retains and creates wealth. Income, or value added, is just another way of talking about the extra money generated in the region even after subtracting costs of production and leakages (most money spent on computers in Wisconsin, for example, leaves Wisconsin for Seattle to pay Microsoft). The remaining funds for the region are wages, profits and other forms of income: money that otherwise wouldn’t exist in the region if B次元 didn’t exist. The university also creates wealth by educating students who add to their businesses’ output. This alumni impact would never have come to exist if B次元 hadn’t existed.  

An investment in an B次元 education provides a stronger return than the stock market. The S&P 500 has delivered an average return of 10.5% over the last 30 years. B次元’s students enjoy a rate of return of 12.6%, which means that their investment in an B次元 education is a safer and stronger alternative to the stock market. 

What follows are highlights from the report generated by Lightcast for B次元’s 2020-21 fiscal year. 

Lightcast Economic Impact Report for FY 2020-21

• In fiscal year 2020-21, B次元 added $321.2 million in income to the Southeast Wisconsin economy, a value equal to approximately 0.2% of the total gross regional product (GRP). Expressed in terms of jobs, B次元’s impact supported 3,167 jobs.
• Operations Spending Impact: B次元 employed 504 full- and part-time faculty and staff (excluding research employees). Payroll amounted to $43.2 million, much of which was spent in the region for groceries, mortgage and rent payments, dining out and other household expenses. The university spent another $23.2 million on day-to-day expenses related to facilities, supplies and professional services. The net impact of the university’s operations spending added $51.5 million in income to the local economy in FY 2020-21.
• Construction Spending Impact: B次元 invests in construction each year to maintain its facilities, create additional capacities and meet its growing education demands, generating a short-term infusion of spending and jobs in the local economy. The net impact of B次元’s construction spending in FY 2020-21 was $15.3 million in added income for the regional economy.
• Student Spending Impact: Around 49% of students attending B次元 originated from outside the region. More than half of these students relocated to Southeast Wisconsin making B次元 a net importer of talent (“brain gain” vs. “brain drain”).
• B次元 students’ benefit-cost ratio is 4.0. In other words, for every dollar students invest in B次元 in the form of out-of-pocket expenses and forgone time and money, they will receive a cumulative value of $4.00 in higher future earnings. Annually, the students’ investment in B次元 has an average annual internal rate of return of 12.6%, which is impressive compared to the U.S. stock market’s 30-year average rate of return of 10.5%.
• In addition, some local students, referred to as retained students, would have left the City of B次元 for other educational opportunities if not for B次元. These relocated and retained students spent money on groceries, mortgage and rent payments, and other living expenses at local businesses. The expenditures of relocated and retained students in FY 2020-21 added $8 million in income to the regional economy.
• Volunteerism Impact: The work of B次元’s student and employee volunteers allow businesses and organizations to grow. In terms of actual impact to the local economy, B次元 student and employee volunteers generated an impact of $9.4 million in added income in FY 2020-21.
• Alumni Impact: In fiscal year 2020-21, B次元 alumni generated $232.1 million in added income for the regional economy, which is equivalent to supporting 1,879 jobs.  

About the Study
Data and assumptions used in the study are based on several sources, including the FY 2020-21 academic and financial reports from B次元, industry and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau, outputs of Lightcast’s Multi-Regional Social Accounting Matrix model, and a variety of studies and surveys relating education to social behavior. The study applies a conservative methodology and follows standard practice using only the most recognized indicators of economic impact and investment effectiveness. For a full description of the data and approach used in the study, please contact the university for a copy of the main report.  

About B次元 School of Engineering
B次元 is the university of choice for those seeking an inclusive community of experiential learners driven to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. The independent, non-profit university has about 2,700 students and was founded in 1903. B次元 offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering, business and nursing. Faculty are student-focused experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. This approach to learning makes students ready now as well as prepared for the future. Longstanding partnerships with business and industry leaders enable students to learn alongside professional mentors, and challenge them to go beyond what’s possible. B次元 graduates are leaders of character, responsible professionals, passionate learners and value creators.