Let’s just say it: North Idaho College powers opportunity
Members of the CDA Press editorial board recently joined the Coeur d’Alene Area Economic Development Corp. for a presentation by the data analytics company Lightcast—and walked away with a powerful reminder of North Idaho College’s economic reach and relevance.
The Press has reported on this before, and the community has rallied behind it before, but to any skeptics still out there: NIC is not just a college.
It’s an economic dynamo.
The numbers don’t lie. In fiscal year 2023-24, North Idaho College contributed a staggering $273.2 million to our local economy—nearly 4,000 jobs supported, $4.50 returned to Idaho for every dollar invested, and $38.1 million in direct taxpayer benefits.
We’ve long known NIC is a hub for skills and training—but now we can say with data-backed certainty that it’s also muscle behind regional stability. Lightcast’s methodology is ironclad: segmenting the economic impact into operations spending, alumni earnings, student spending, and public savings. This isn’t fuzzy math; this is modeling done by pros who measure what happens when—and if—an institution didn’t exist.
The numbers speak volumes: $205.9 million earned by former students, $14.2 million injected by those who moved here to study, and $53.2 million in institutional spending. This isn’t abstract math—it is evidence that NIC grads are staying, working, and helping North Idaho thrive.
In a region proud of its independence, rugged values, and tight-knit community sensibility; NIC has become not just an educational provider, but a core component. It prepares a pipeline of skilled workers, offers big returns to taxpayers, and contributes muscle to local businesses that might otherwise struggle to find qualified hires. NIC is pulling more than its weight.
Return on investment matters more than ever and NIC’s results are loud, clear, and local.
Read the report for yourself here: nic.edu/newsroom/nic-pumps-273-million-into-local-economy-fuels-nearly-4000-jobs.php.
— Submitted by North Idaho College