Western’s impact on the local economy reaches beyond just those it employs or teaches. The money spent at Western ripples through the economy of Washington State, creating external jobs, salaries, and opportunities. Some economic impacts spread into nearby British Columbia, or throughout the U.S., although these impacts are relatively small and out of the scope of this report.

Many of Western’s operations produce economic value such as with technology transfer, the support of the surrounding community, and the promotion of an educated workforce, but not all of these produce easily measurable monetary value, and there remains some variability in the interpretations of the output. The numbers generated by Western’s impact analysis do not attempt to include the entire sociological, environmental, and developmental impacts of Western Washington University. Therefore, included are the most measurably accurate outputs of the general university operations.

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Western plays a vital role in the local and regional economies by providing resources like access to business advisors and state agencies, aiding small businesses in navigating the complexities of running their ventures.

Western Washington University creates 3,381 jobs in Bellingham, making up almost 4% of all nonfarm jobs there. Each job it creates leads to nearly two more indirectly. In 2022, Western employed 1,961 people directly, but its total employment impact rose to 3,381 jobs, showing how its presence boosts job opportunities in the area.