2025 Economic Impact Study

Across Wisconsin, UW-Stout Polytechnic alumni added $721.4 million in income to the state in FY 2024-25. That's an economic impact similar to hosting two Super Bowls, or the equivalent of supporting 8,008 jobs.

The accumulated impact of former students currently employed in the UW-Stout Polytechnic Service Area workforce amounted to $302.6 million in added income for the UW-Stout Polytechnic Service Area economy, which is equivalent to supporting 4,268 jobs.

At the state level, Lightcast can confirm $123.3 million in UW-Stout Polytechnic operations impact—enough added income to buy 2.611 new cars or support 1,186 jobs. 

Unlike our other metrics, our substantiated statewide figure is slightly lower than our services region total due to over how alternative use of funds are calculated by Lightcast. For example, at the state level, $50 million could have reasonably been invested by university funders into other use cases within the state. At the regional level, Lightcast's calculations showed that roughly $15 million could have reasonably been invested into other use cases in the region, which resulted in a larger confirmed regional impact.

Payroll and benefits to support UW-Stout Polytechnic’s day-to-day operations with the UW-Stout Polytechnic Service Area amounted to $99.9 million. The university’s non-pay expenditures amounted to $58.2 million. The net impact of operations spending by the university in the UW-Stout Polytechnic Service Area during the analysis year was approximately $128.8 million in added income, which is equivalent to supporting 1,323 jobs.

Throughout the state, UW-Stout Polytechnic student spending added $11.7 million in added income—enough to buy groceries for 800 families for a year or the equivalent of 178 jobs.

Expenditures of relocated and retained students in the UW-Stout Polytechnic Service Area during the analysis year added approximately $10.9 million in income for the regional economy, which is equivalent to supporting 180 jobs.

Around 78% of students attending UW-Stout Polytechnic originated from 
outside the region. Some of these students relocated to the UW-Stout Polytechnic Service Area to attend the university. In addition, some students, referred to as retained students, are residents of the UW-Stout Polytechnic Service Area who would have left the region if not for the existence of UW-Stout Polytechnic. The money that these students spent toward living expenses in the UW-Stout Polytechnic Service Area is attributable to UW-Stout Polytechnic.

Out-of-state visitors to UW-Stout Polytechnic events added $1.2 million in income to the state.

Within the UW-Stout Polytechnic Service Area, activities at UW-Stout Polytechnic brought new dollars to the economy through their spending at hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and other businesses in the region. The spending from these visitors added approximately $1.0 million in income for the UW-Stout Polytechnic Service Area economy, which is equivalent to supporting 27 jobs.