Produced by London Economics, the report, which analyses the University’s activities in the 2021/22 academic year, shows that Leeds Trinity’s physical footprint supports jobs and promotes economic growth throughout Yorkshire and the UK.

This contribution is set to grow as the University launches new programmes, including Nursing and Biomedical Science to respond to key public sector workforce needs, and will open a new Leeds City Campus next year with a strong focus on addressing skills challenges in the digital industries. 

Key findings of the report include:

• Leeds Trinity University created a total economic impact of £657m in 2021/22.
• Every £1 spent by Leeds Trinity University generated £13.70 in the wider economy.
• Leeds Trinity’s expenditure supported a total of 915 full-time equivalent jobs across the UK economy, 74% of which were based in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The report details that the economic impact generated by Leeds Trinity’s teaching and learning activities was £554m, whilst the operating and capital expenditures of the University accounted for a further £103m.  

The teaching and learning analysis considers both the enhanced employment and earnings benefits to graduates and, separately, the additional taxation receipts associated with a higher education qualification attainment at Leeds Trinity.

As a career-led University, Leeds Trinity enhances employment prospects for its graduates by equipping them with critical skills and connections to help boost their employability and lifetime earnings in a rapidly changing world.

The new report suggests that the ‘net graduate premium’ achieved by a full-time first degree graduate at Leeds Trinity University stands at £34,000. Further to this, at postgraduate level, the premium is estimated at £56,000. There are also substantial net graduate premiums associated with Degree Apprentices of £157,000, reflecting the age Degree Apprentices tend to complete their studies, that they incur no tuition fee costs during their training, and additionally accrue pay during study.

In terms of the University’s expenditure, the majority (£67 million, 65%) was generated in Yorkshire and the Humber, while the remainder (£36 million, 35%) was accrued across the rest of the UK. Furthermore, for every £1m of spend incurred by Leeds Trinity, this generated an additional £1.31m of impact throughout the UK economy, of which £500,000 was created in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Claire Newhouse, Dean of External Engagement and Impact at Leeds Trinity University, said: “We commissioned London Economics to produce our first economic and social impact report to explore the different ways in which Leeds Trinity University contributes to the success of West Yorkshire and the UK, as we review how we can continue to increase this in the years to come.  

“This includes transforming our current Main Campus in Horsforth with the addition of new facilities to support the NHS in addressing skills gaps in Nursing, Allied Health and Life Sciences. The investment in these areas equates to capital spend of approximately £5m for our new health building, and upgrades to existing facilities. Investment in our Nursing and Biomedical courses also relates to annual salary expenditure of around £1.1m.”  

Professor Charles Egbu, Vice-Chancellor at Leeds Trinity University, said: “Enhancing our contribution in the Leeds City Region and beyond is a key component of the University’s Strategic Plan and our commitment as an Anchor institution to deliver more for Leeds as an employer, through procurement, service delivery, and by working collaboratively as a civic partner on social and environmental challenges.

“In addition to our Main Campus developments, we will open our new Leeds Trinity University City Campus at No 1 Trevelyan Square in the 2024/25 academic year. As part of this, we are looking forward to working even more closely with employers from across the region to help our students develop new skills for the new economy and growing our economic and social contribution further. This is just the starting point, and we anticipate our economic and social impact will grow significantly in the next decade.” 

Read the full report and detailed analysis online.