At the request of Supervisor Eric Mar, San Francisco’s Budget and Legislative Analyst’s released a study Wednesday of City College of San Francisco’s economic impact on San Francisco and its residents. The analysis addresses the potential loss of the college if the ACCJC’s decision to yank accreditation in 2014 were to become reality.
The results are staggering: at the very least, CCSF generates over $300 million in economic activity every year. This is based upon state and federal funding as well as the value of the careers CCSF facilitates. Moreover, nearby community colleges could not accommodate CCSF’s large student body, while for-profit colleges would make higher education prohibitively unaffordable for many students—up to 17 times more expensive for comparable programs.
Such a loss would be irreparable for the community and beyond. CCSF generates over $300 million in economic activity every year, based on state and federal funding as well as the value of the jobs that students attain from attending City College. Moreover, nearby community colleges could not accommodate all of our students, while for-profit colleges would be out of reach for most students—up to 17 times more expensive for comparable programs. 
The SF Budget and Legislative Analyst’s report cited 2457 employees as of fall 2012 whose jobs would be impacted; this number does not reflect the layoffs and other reductions in faculty and staff ranks. (See AFT 2121’s most current data.) The report also notes that laid off employees may have difficulty finding comparable positions, in a similar vein to the impacts on displaced students.
“The study is helpful in quantifying how devastating the loss of accreditation would be,” said Supervisor Mar. “But there’s no way to quantify support for these programs that are about getting people on the right track. City College is part of the city economic ladder for people held in or locked in to poverty.”
Over a dozen faculty, current and former students, and community members spoke to the importance of access and critical support for our students, many of whom rely on City College as a lifeline.
The report highlights CCSF’s critical contributions to San Francisco’s economy:
- Attending a State University would cost students $10,000 more for four semesters of college, above and beyond the $2760 that City College students pay for a comparable 60 semester units.
- CCSF’s 5,000 students without a high-school diploma face losing an average of $8840 in earnings per year if they are unable to get the needed classes for a GED.
- English language learners who are unable to enroll in needed courses could face a loss of $13,500 in annual wages.
- Local employers would lose an important source of skilled employees. In 2011-2012, over 2200 students completed an associate degree, certificate or other programs in which they attained job skills; these position CCSF graduates for jobs with an average median wage of $59,800, earnings significantly higher than for jobs requiring a high school education.
Download the full analysis here, see our latest data about CCSF faculty and spending with updated charts, or view video of the 9/18 presentation, including slides and public comment, online (CCSF Impact Report starts about 20 minutes in).
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