Economic Impact Report
Economic Impact Reports
2026 Career Technical Education Economic Impact
A 2025-2026 market analysis has found that the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District's career education and workforce training programs contribute just under $600 million annually to the San Diego County economy, an amount that supports over 7,100 jobs in the region.
The District served nearly 15,000 CTE students in FY 2023-24. According to the study, the average CTE associate degree graduate from Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges will earn $10,000 more each year than a person working in California with a high school diploma or equivalent.
- For every $1 students invest in their education, they will receive $6.10 in higher earnings over their careers.
- Over the working lives of the District's FY 2023-24 CTE students, state and local governments will collect a present value of $145.3 million in added tax revenue.
- $425.5 million: Alumni impact. CTE alumni have joined the county workforce with greater knowledge and skills. As a result, their earnings have risen, and so has the productivity of the businesses that employ them. This added income supports 3,985 jobs.
- $84.3 million: Student spending. Nearly 20% of CTE students come from outside the county, and some in-county students would have left the region if the District's CTE programs did not exist. The day-to-day living expenses of these relocated and retained students supported 1,105 jobs in San Diego County.
- $66.5 million: Operations spending. This impact reflects initial payroll of $45.8 million for 1,730 full- and part-time CTE faculty and staff, nearly all of whom live in San Diego County. In addition to the District’s spending on CTE facilities, supplies, professional services, and other foods and services. This added income supports 1,813 jobs in the region.
- $22.9 million: Construction spending. This is the impact of the District's capital projects to maintain and expand CTE facilities to meet growing educational demand. In FY 2023-24, these capital projects generated $22.9 million in added income to the county economy.
Read more about the study here.
2023 Economic Impact Study
A 2023 economic impact report found that the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District had a $1.3 billion economic impact on San Diego County, enough to support almost 13,500 jobs.
The district's economic impact is the equivalent of hosting the World Series 193 times in San Diego, the study found.
The study by Lightcast, a leading provider of economic impact and labor market data, also concluded that Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges are a great investment for students, taxpayers and society. The results of the analysis were based on data from the 2021-2022 academic year.
The study found that:
- The economic impact of alumni spending was $983.6 million, the equivalent of 9,774 jobs.
- The economic impact of district spending for operations was $190.88 million, the equivalent of 2,707 jobs.
- The economic impact of student spending was $50.7 million, the equivalent of 701 jobs, for bringing in students from outside the county and retaining students who would otherwise have left the county.
- The economic impact of construction spending was $26.2 million, the equivalent of 296 jobs.
- For every dollar that students spend on their education, they will receive a return of $7 in higher future earnings.
- For every dollar spent by society, $8.40 was gained in social sector savings.