NEC and NEBHE Release Updated Fact Sheets on Economic Impact of Higher Ed Sector
The New England Council and the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) have once again partnered to release a series of fact sheets highlighting the economic impact of the higher education sector in the region. These new resources highlight the economic impact that colleges and universities have in each state, as well as aggregate data for the entire New England region. Data points covered include total economic impact, federal tax revenue generated, jobs in the higher education sector, jobs created in the state, total number of institutions, total students, and students awarded a Pell Grant.
Some highlights from the data include:
- The higher education sector in New England had a total economic impact of $28.5B in 2025.
- New England colleges and universities employed nearly 289,112 people and served over 1.1 million students in 2025.
- In New England, the higher education sector was responsible for creating over 560,415 jobs in 2025.
- Colleges and universities in New England generated $1.3B in federal tax revenue in 2025.
The data was compiled by NEBHE and is available to all New England Council members to use in their own advocacy efforts. You can download the fact sheets here:
The Council is grateful to NEBHE for their partnership in providing this useful research to support the region’s higher education sector. For more information, please contact NEC Director of Federal Affairs Mariah Healy or NEBHE Associate Director of Policy and Research Robert Merth.
*This represents high-level data and may not fully represent individual school direct impact.