USask contributed $2.0 billion to Saskatchewan’s economy for 2024/25, according to a new study.

USask ‘an economic engine for the province,’ new study shows

The study, University of Saskatchewan Economic and Social Impact Analysis, 2024/25, was commissioned by USask and conducted in partnership with RTI International

By Shannon Boklaschuk

A University of Saskatchewan (USask) graduate’s average earnings will increase by more than $13,000 annually for each degree completed—a total of between $850,000 and $1.4 million over a lifetime.

That’s one of the key findings of a new study, University of Saskatchewan Economic and Social Impact Analysis, 2024/25, commissioned by USask and conducted in partnership with the independent scientific research institute RTI International.

Data from the study was publicly released online on Dec. 18, 2025, highlighting the many ways USask contributes to the economic, social, and environmental well-being of Saskatchewan and beyond.

“The University of Saskatchewan is an economic engine for the province,” said USask President Peter Stoicheff. “This study demonstrates how USask is integral to building a stronger Saskatchewan and Canada.”

For example, USask generated $2.0 billion of Saskatchewan’s gross domestic product (GDP) and $2.4 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2024/25. USask’s GDP per capita impact is the highest among the nine other comparator Canadian universities that measure this fact. USask also supports 13,320 jobs and more than $1 billion in labour income. For every $1 the Government of Saskatchewan invests in USask, USask brings in $1.48 from non-provincial government sources.

The data analyzed by RTI International quantifies the economic impact of USask’s operations, student and visitor spending, research activities, innovations and startup activity, and alumni contributions. The study also identifies and evaluates the social value that USask provides to its community and showcases USask’s leadership role in driving economic resilience, reconciliation, sustainability, and innovation in Saskatchewan, Canada, and beyond.

“USask graduates report higher employment rates and higher average earnings than Saskatchewan jobseekers with education at the high-school level,” said Jennifer Ozawa, senior economist for innovation and economic development with RTI International. “A university education also helps close the earnings gap for Indigenous peoples and other demographic groups by contributing to their career pathways across many professions.”

In 2024/25, the 2,940 self-declared Indigenous undergraduate students at USask represented 14 per cent of the total undergraduate student enrolment, one of the highest percentages among Canadian universities, according to the 2021 Canadian Census.

On an annual basis, USask produces an average of 4,500 graduates, nearly 70 per cent of whom stay in Saskatchewan after graduation. During the past decade, USask has added more than 27,000 graduates to the provincial workforce.

“Our university is proud to have provided an outstanding education to hundreds of thousands of students over more than a century,” said Stoicheff. “With more than 177,000 alumni now living in 120 countries around the globe, USask is continuing to play a significant role in developing the province’s skilled and highly educated workforce while realizing its bold ambition to be the university the world needs.”

Data from the study, as well as short stories highlighting some of USask’s innovative people, programs, and projects, can be viewed online.

 

By the Numbers:

  • USask contributed $2.0 billion to Saskatchewan’s economy for 2024/25. This is an increase from $1.2 billion from 2015.
  • Every $1 invested into USask by the Saskatchewan government translates to $3.64 of GDP and $1.99 in labour income.
  • USask contributes nearly two per cent of Saskatchewan’s total economy.
  • USask employs 13,320 people directly and indirectly in the province.
  • One-third of the province’s costs to support the university are returned through the university’s tax generation.
  • Visitors to USask spent an estimated $100.4 million in Saskatchewan in 2024/25.
  • USask produces an average of 4,500 graduates annually.
  • Over the past 10 years, USask has added more than 27,000 graduates to the Saskatchewan workforce.
  • Self-declared Indigenous enrolment at USask is among the highest in the country and nearly matches percentage population of Indigenous people in the province.
  • For each USask degree earned, average annual earnings increase by more than $13,000. That’s between $850,000 and $1.4 million over a lifetime.