The economic contributions of Australia’s research universities

Universities contribute to the Australian economy and society in many and varied ways. Through their operations and the expenditure of their students and visitors, they contribute to economic output and employment. The core functions of universities – teaching and learning, and research discovery and adoption – build human capital and drive technological progress. This contributes to the productive capacity of the nation which helps to drive growth in living standards. While many of these contributions have been considered in isolation by previous reports, few studies have provided a comprehensive account of the contribution of universities to the Australian economy.

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the University’s economic contribution, to exemplify the vast and wide-ranging benefits generated by Australia’s universities. The analysis establishes the significant economic contributions made by UNSW to the economies of NSW and Australia and demonstrates the considerable benefits that Australian universities generate for our nation.