Header image that reads: Alumni Impact Study Commissioned by the UMaine Alumni Association Conducted by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center

Part One: The Economic and Tax Impact of UMaine Alumni

Alumni Impact Study > Part One

Alumni of Maine’s flagship university in Orono have a disproportionately high impact on Maine’s economy and tax revenues when compared to the state-wide averages.

Black Bears by the Numbers

Black Bear Age Ranges pie chart

Black Bears in Maine

  • 57,136 alumni
  • ~23,000 live within anhour’s drive of Portland
  • ~18,000 within anhour’s drive of Bangor
  • ~32,000 – the number of Black Bear alumni employed in Maine.
  • 1.2% the unemployment rate of Black Bear alumni, 67% lower than Maine’s statewide unemployment rate of 3.6 percent (2019).

 

Black Bear Earnings in Maine

 

  • $56,000 – the median earnings of individual Black Bear alumni of working age (defined as 22-69).
  • 124% – the difference between Black Bears’ annual median earnings and the state’s overall median ($56,000 vs. $25,000).
  • $52,750 – the median income of working-age Black Bear alumni with a bachelor’s degree. That number is 47 percent higher than the statewide median income for working-age Mainers with a bachelor’s degree ($36,000).
  • $60,200 – The median income of working-age Black Bear alumni holding a master’s degree or higher. That amount is 20 percent greater than the statewide median income for working-age Mainers who hold graduate degrees ($50,000).
  • $114,868 – The average annual income of Black Bear alumni households. That’s 34 percent greater than Maine’s statewide household average income ($85,954).

 

Image result for john c reed maine savings

“Investing in a UMaine education pays off for individuals, their families, Maine taxpayers, and Maine employers. The results of this study are valuable to everyone involved in understanding and advancing Maine’s economy and quality of life.”

– John C. Reed ’79, ’91G, CEO of
Maine Savings Federal Credit Union

Black Bears: State and Local TaxesBlack Bears State and Local Taxes Graph

      • 49% greater – the difference between what the average Black Bear alumni household pays in Maine state income taxes and the statewide overall average ($2,222 vs. $1,491).
      • 18% greater – the difference between what the average Black Bear alumni household pays in local property taxes and the statewide average ($2,852 vs. $2,420).
      • 21% – the difference between what the average Black Bear alumni household pays in Maine sales taxes and the statewide average ($3,110 vs. $2,572).
      • 26% – the difference between what the average Black Bear alumni household pays in total state and local taxes and the statewide average ($8,184 vs. $6,483).
      • $453 million – the total amount of state and local taxes paid by Black Bear alumni in Maine
      • 350% greater – the difference between what Black Bear alumni in Maine paid in state and local taxes and the amount that UMaine received in state appropriation ($97 million).
NOTE: These numbers and comparisons are based on tax data from 2018, the most recently completed tax year at the time the survey was conducted.

 

Michael P. Burque

“My take-away from this study is that public investment in public higher education is worth every nickel. This institution makes a profound difference in both lives and livelihoods and deserves our enthusiastic support.”

– Michael P. Bourque ’89, President and CEO of
The MEMIC Group

 

 

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The Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center

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