Glendora, CA, December 19, 2017 — In early 2017, America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU) funded a $100,000 “seed” grant given to the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) to underwrite research on the economic impact that Christian colleges and universities have in the United States. On December 14, 2017, the full research results were revealed at a private event on Azusa Pacific University’s (APU) campus.
After a year of research, the study discovered the national impact of Christian higher education institutions affiliated with the CCCU, totaling $60 billion dollars annually (or $166 million a day) contributed to the U.S. economy. By-products of the CCCU included those relating to the collective economic, societal, and community impact. The CCCU is graduating students who are interested in bettering the world through human services at nearly 3x the rate of traditional four-year institutions. And with a call to be good neighbors in the cities the universities reside, the CCCU proudly announced its annual contribution of 5.4 million hours of community service offered by current students.
“If we want to be effective communicators of the full value of Christian higher education, we must know the vital statistics of how and why Christian colleges impact their locality, their state, and the nation,” said CCCU President Shirley V. Hoogstra. “We are grateful for the leaders at ACCU, who recognize both the value of Christian colleges and universities and the need for this research.”
As the largest Christian university in California, APU was selected as the first individual institution to undergo the impact study. Findings show APU’s economic impact spans far beyond the city of Azusa, the Southern California region and dramatically impacts the state at large. Each year, APU contributes $1.25 billion to the California economy, within that, $37 million in state taxes alone, and furthermore, supports 7,260 jobs statewide.
When announcing the results of the research grant, ACCU President/CEO Mendell L. Thompson said, “At ACCU, we strive to play a constructive role in mission-aligned outreach and expanding the Kingdom. We recognize and support the very significant role that God-honoring institutions like Azusa Pacific University play.”
As discussions in government around the funding of higher education continue, the CCCU is prompting each of the participating universities to acquire research regarding the economic impact created by the individual university to defend the value and worth of its higher calling, higher education experience.