This is about as clear of an argument as to why you need to invest in athletics. For WSU is means, University subsidies in a meaningful way to be competitive.
"Large flagship universities—blessed with strong academic reputations and high-profile sports programs—continue to boost local economies. In such cities as Ann Arbor, Mich., University of Michigan, Madison, Wis., University of Wisconsin, and Gainesville, Fla., University of Florida, students fill dorms, restaurants and bars.
A Wall Street Journal analysis of 748 public four-year colleges and universities in all 50 states shows that full- and part-time enrollment at the most prominent state universities increased 9% in 2023 compared with 2015. At lesser-known regional state universities, enrollment fell 2%. The shift represents tens of thousands of students who have abandoned struggling college towns.
At the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the state’s flagship school, enrollment jumped 30% in 2023 compared with 2015. Enrollment at Tennessee’s 10 regional state colleges fell a combined 3% over the same period. In Wisconsin, enrollment at the University of Wisconsin in Madison jumped 16% and fell 9% at regional public campuses over the same period. Between 2011 and 2023, the economies of the metropolitan areas that include Madison and Knoxville grew faster than the U.S. as a whole."
"Large flagship universities—blessed with strong academic reputations and high-profile sports programs—continue to boost local economies. In such cities as Ann Arbor, Mich., University of Michigan, Madison, Wis., University of Wisconsin, and Gainesville, Fla., University of Florida, students fill dorms, restaurants and bars.
A Wall Street Journal analysis of 748 public four-year colleges and universities in all 50 states shows that full- and part-time enrollment at the most prominent state universities increased 9% in 2023 compared with 2015. At lesser-known regional state universities, enrollment fell 2%. The shift represents tens of thousands of students who have abandoned struggling college towns.
At the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the state’s flagship school, enrollment jumped 30% in 2023 compared with 2015. Enrollment at Tennessee’s 10 regional state colleges fell a combined 3% over the same period. In Wisconsin, enrollment at the University of Wisconsin in Madison jumped 16% and fell 9% at regional public campuses over the same period. Between 2011 and 2023, the economies of the metropolitan areas that include Madison and Knoxville grew faster than the U.S. as a whole."
