On the Rise: Tulane's Impact in New Orleans and Louisiana

It has often been said that the future of Tulane University and the city of New Orleans are inextricably linked. This is why we, as proud New Orleanians, who are laser focused on ensuring the vitality of our city and region, are pleased to report the results of a new study on Tulane’s economic impact. This study reveals the truly vital and unique role Tulane plays as an economic force whose impact is inclusive, touching every segment of communities throughout Louisiana.

Through our unprecedented momentum in research and student enrollment, our role as a top employer, our historic expansion and more, Tulane makes an annual $5.2 billion impact on the state’s economy, according to the new study. Tulane's operations, capital investments, research and other activities support more than 30,000 jobs statewide and generate $88.2 million in annual state tax revenue. Tulane’s economic impact on Louisiana has surged since the last such study the university commissioned in 2019, which credited Tulane with a $3.14 billion annual impact.

In New Orleans alone, Tulane's impact now reaches $2.3 billion annually and supports more than 17,000 local jobs. Perhaps most significantly in these times of outmigration from our state, we attract renowned scientists, scholars and high-achieving students who may not otherwise have made Louisiana home. As we said, Tulane’s contributions are unique. Unlike other businesses, we don’t merely recirculate existing money in the local economy, we bring in new revenue with an influx of federal research funding, donor dollars and the ancillary impacts of new students, faculty, staff, visitors, fans and more.

The huge increase in the numbers in this year’s report, over the 2019 economic report, reflects the incredible growth trajectory the university is currently experiencing in all dimensions. But the story behind the numbers is the true impact we make in people’s lives as a vital, irreplaceable force for good. This story, and your part in it, should give all Tulanians much to be proud of across the uptown and downtown campuses, at the Tulane National Primate Research Center in Covington and in clinical sites for Tulane Doctors throughout our region, including University Medical Center New Orleans and East Jefferson, Lakeside and Lakeview hospitals as well as Children’s Hospital New Orleans.?

Like Tulane itself, the study is also future-focused, examining the impact of the once-in-a-generation expansion of our downtown campus on which we are currently embarking. This includes the transformation of the Charity Hospital building into a center of bioscience exploration and the repurposing of the Tulane Medical Center building into a hub for healthcare education and treatment. There is so much more to tell, and you can learn it all by?visiting impact.tulane.edu.

Economic reports are all about the bottom line. And the bottom line of this year’s report is how Tulane is improving lives in our community, region and world through breakthroughs, discoveries and transformational education, while also serving as a driver of sustained economic growth and the building of a better future for all Louisianians.

Michael A. Fitts, President

Robin Forman, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Patrick Norton, Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer/Treasurer