The Economic Power of the CSU & CPP

Dear Bronco Family,

Whether you are seeking a degree or working in support of our students, you are part of something bigger.

A Cal Poly Pomona education propels families and communities to thrive, elevating first-generation graduates, unlocking career paths and multiplying opportunities for siblings, children and neighbors who follow.

To demonstrate this collective impact, the California State University system has released its Economic Impact Report to highlight the CSU’s robust return on investment for California at every level:

• Economic Return: For every dollar the state invested in the CSU, $7.69 was generated in statewide industry activity, increasing to $35.53 when including alumni earnings across California.

• Statewide Impact: The CSU supported a total of 210,800 jobs across California with an overall statewide impact of $31.6 billion during the 2023-24 academic year.
• Regional Reach: As part of the Los Angeles region, Cal Poly Pomona helped generate substantial economic impact across the area, supporting a total of 11,000 jobs and an overall impact of $1.5 billion in industry activity — underscoring the campus’s vital role in regional economic vitality.
• Workforce Power: Nearly half of all bachelor’s degrees in California are awarded by the CSU in disciplines directly tied to California’s evolving workforce needs in essential industries, such as the agriculture and engineering industries in the Los Angeles region, ensuring students are prepared for in-demand jobs in their communities, supporting local economies.
• Research Impact: CSU research initiatives tackle some of California’s most urgent challenges — from sustainable agriculture and advanced manufacturing to clean energy innovation and climate-resilient infrastructure — while delivering globally significant science.

The evidence is clear: Higher education matters. Your potential matters. YOU matter. CSU graduates, and its future graduates, spur our state’s economic growth and resiliency and energizes the world’s fifth-largest economy.

An investment in the CSU is an investment in California’s growth and prosperity. Beyond dollars, it’s an investment in the lives we transform and the communities we strengthen. I could not be more proud to be part of this mission — and I hope you are too.

Learn more about the CSU’s Economic Impact Report and Cal Poly Pomona’s impact via CPP News.  

Sincerely,

Dr. Iris S. Levine
Interim President