Washington University in St. Louis continues to play a vital role in the local economy. In fiscal year 2023, the university’s direct and indirect contributions to the St. Louis economy totaled $8.8 billion.
$3.6B
in direct spending leading to $8.8 billion total impact
20,765
employees
$379M
in construction
$477M
investment in financial aid with 21% of Class of 2027 students who are Pell Grant-eligible
$978M
in research funding that fuels groundbreaking discovery, innovations in patient care and new economic opportunities
$235M
in uncompensated medical care provided
$212M
in local spending from students coming to the region
2023 Community Impact Report
In 2023, Washington University directly contributed $3.6 billion to the local economy, spending $379 million in construction, $266 million in local goods and services and $2.1 billion in employee compensation. With 20,765 employees, WashU is the region’s second-largest employer.
WashU also serves as a leader in patient care and public health. This year, WashU physicians provided 2,456,881 patient visits and $235 million in uncompensated medical care.
Economic and Community Impact
Fiscal Year 2023
People, purchasing and construction
As part of WashU’s broader efforts to partner with St. Louis businesses, University Dining Services invited five additional local minority or woman-owned restaurants to open locations at campus eateries. Beast Craft BBQ, Collins Farms, Corner 17, LaJoy’s Coffee Cafe, and The Fattened Caf joined four other female or minority-owned restaurants already operating on campus, including Coffeestamp. The coffee roaster and bakery was founded by brothers Patrick and Spencer Clapp, who grew up in Honduras.
Operating a second location inside WashU has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. We’ve been able to grow our business and, with that, help our team members to grow with us by offering benefits and better wages.
Patrick Clapp, Coffeestamp founder
$8.8B
total university economic impact
$3.6B
in direct spending (construction, purchasing, employee compensation and student spending)
54,380
total supported jobs in the region (direct and indirect)
$2.1B
in salaries
$378.6M
in construction
20,765
WashU employees
Community support
Every summer, WashU provides generous stipends for students to work unpaid internships at local nonprofits, agencies and startups. One such program is the John C. Morris Fellowship, a partnership between the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement and the Greater Missouri chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Morris Fellows advance a range of the association’s priorities, from identifying communities in need of services to analyzing new laws for their impact on residents with dementia. Morris Fellows receive a $6,000 summer stipend plus $250 to spend in the community at restaurants, farmers markets and other attractions.
Would this work get done if they weren’t here? Yes—it has to. But we are able to dig deeper and move faster. The fellows are so bright and insightful. And because of the work of the Gephardt Institute, they come to us with an understanding of the nuances of St. Louis.”
Sarah Lovegreen of the Alzheimer’s Association
$2.8M
support for community orgs and neighborhoods
$266M
local purchasing
$212M
student spending in the region
K–12 educational opportunities
WashU’s Institute for School Partnership (ISP) serves nearly every district in the region and some 60 independent schools. Programs include mySci, ISP’s award-winning inquirybased science curriculum; STEM Teacher Quality, the long-running professional development initiative; and STEMpact District Immersion, an effort to improve math education. ISP collaborates with educators to put research into practice for better lessons and classroom practices, as well as improved school culture and communications. The partnership with St. Louis Public Schools is showing results at Ashland Elementary and Meramec Elementary. Recent MAP scores show a 2.5-fold increase in math and 5-fold increase in science.
This experience has opened my eyes to different ways of doing things. When you are not focused on checking boxes and one little lesson, you can let the lesson flow so kids really take ownership of their own learning.
Andrew Eason, fifth-grade teacher
344
schools served by the Institute for School Partnership
5,056
teachers participated in ISP programs
55
teacher participants in STEMpact Quality Institute in FY23
1,126
teacher participants since STEMpact Quality Institute’s inception in 2012
Educational access
WashU has implemented a long-term, comprehensive strategy to expand access to the university. In 2021, WashU shifted to need-blind admissions. Beginning in Fall 2024, undergraduate students’ federal loans will be removed from all financial aid packages and replaced with scholarships and university grants. Going forward, this will allow WashU students to graduate debt free.
The WashU Pledge provides complete undergraduate education—including tuition, fees, housing, and meals—to students across Missouri and in southern Illinois with annual family incomes of $75,000 or less, while the Heartland Initiative brings talented students from rural areas to the university. And the School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers flexible opportunities for modern learners to obtain a WashU education.
$477M
investment in financial aid
83
WashU Pledge students enrolled
$6.7M
in FY23 total gift aid support for WashU Pledge enrollment
$6.3M
in FY23 total gift aid support for Gateway to Success enrollment
21%
Class of 2027 students who are Pell-eligible
Community health and support
This year, WashU launched the Danforth St. Louis Confluence Award to honor faculty members who collaborate with local organizations and agencies to make St. Louis a healthier, stronger community. Among the honorees: Matthew Kreuter, a Brown School expert who worked to increase vaccination rates among vulnerable St. Louisans; Bettina Drake, a School of Medicine epidemiologist who leads Siteman Cancer Center’s outreach efforts to eliminate cancer disparities; Andrew Butler, an education researcher in Arts & Sciences who is studying student mobility rates; and Wyly Brown, a Sam Fox School designer who joined College Hill residents to create a park in the only St. Louis neighborhood without one.
The park makes the community because the park is where people go to relax. And when you’re relaxed you can find a calmness that brings peace.
Lorrin Pattin, resident who joined efforts to design and develop the College Hill park
2.46M
total patient visits
$235M
in uncompensated care
1.64M
total outpatient visits
817,130
total inpatient visits
Research and innovation
At WashU, we are dedicated to supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, scholarship and research on our campus, to benefit our community, region and world. The university is a founding anchor of the Cortex Innovation Community, which supports the nation’s most promising technological advances by providing state-of-the-art facilities. Located in Cortex, our Office of Technology Management assists faculty and students as they take their intellectual property out of the lab and into the marketplace.
$977.8M
in research funding
430
patents filed
