Maryland’s historically black colleges and universities have quietly been generating billions for the state’s economy, recent studies show.
A new report from Econsult Solutions found that Morgan State University generated $1.5 billion for the state economy in 2024, and $891 million for Baltimore.
The state’s preeminent public urban research university has seen consistent growth since it began studying its economic impact. Additionally, the university supports 8,200 jobs in the state and contributes $71 million in state tax revenue.
“From our pioneering research projects to our massive role in local community and economic development, our impact is impactful, transformational and intentional,” David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University, said in a news release.
The university’s baseline economic impact study in 2019 showed an impact of $990 million, with steady growth over a five-year period.
Wayne Swann, an official in the research and economic development department, attributed the growth to a myriad of factors.
“We have seen an all-time record in students that are coming to Morgan,” he said.
The university has also ramped up research and infrastructure spending and expanded both undergraduate and graduate programs. Morgan State also now offers online courses and a “completer” degree for students who have previous college credit but never received a diploma.
Studies from the United Negro College Fund point to similar growth in other Maryland HBCUs. Coppin State generates $157.7 million annually for local and regional economies. For every dollar the college spends, $1.46 is produced. Earnings for 2021 graduates were also estimated to be 64% higher than expected if they hadn’t received a degree.
The University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, also generated over $225 million.
The studies point to a larger trend that has often flown under the radar. While Maryland is home to heavily endowed research universities like Johns Hopkins, which generates $15 billion annually for the state, and the University of Maryland, whose impact is massive and hard to pinpoint, HBCUs have been effectively generating both jobs and wealth for Baltimore and the state.
Morgan State has also been able to weather recent funding cuts as the state tries to rebalance its budget. The impact, though felt, was not severe, according to Swann. The university tried to cut costs where it would have the least severe impact on the workflow and outcomes of the university.
An increase in out-of-state admissions also helped generate money for the school to thrive while state funds were cut. Higher education was also notably excluded from Gov. Wes Moore‘s recent hiring freeze and buyout offers to save money in the state government.
Swann maintained that Morgan State has a positive impact on both the state economy and society as a whole.
“Every year we give back six times the total budget coming from the state,” he said, and stressed that experiential learning that prepares students is a less visible return on investment.
