For nearly 100 years, St. Petersburg College has been a valuable and accessible resource for people seeking better lives for their families and fulfillment in their careers. Since we enroll more than 43,000 students each year in our degree and short-term training programs, it’s pretty likely that you or others you know have a diploma or certification from SPC — or perhaps from St. Petersburg Junior College. But what you may not know is the profound effect that SPC has on the economic value of Pinellas County, the Tampa Bay area, and beyond.
SPC contracted data analytics advisers Emsi to conduct an economic impact analysis, based on 2019-20 data. In the 2019-20 fiscal year alone, SPC added $2.3 billion in income to the Tampa Bay region’s economy — which is about 1.3 percent of the region’s gross regional product (GRP). Zooming in on Pinellas County, the college added $1.2 billion in income to the county’s economy, or approximately 2.2 percent of the county’s total GRP.
Additional findings include:
- SPC alumni contribute more than $950 million in added income to the county.
- For every $1 that supports SPC, the community gains $8.40 in added income and social savings.
- SPC’s operations spending added $163.8 million to the county’s income.