2026 marks fifty years of dedicated service to supporting and protecting private, nonprofit higher education and students, families, and communities independent colleges and universities serve.
NAICU's collective impact can be measured in billions of dollars of federal student aid and tax cuts preserved, hundreds of institutions strengthened and supported, and generations of students realizing their higher education goals.
As NAICU looks ahead, the mission remains clear: to champion the value of independent higher education and ensure that opportunity continues to expand for future generations of students.
This record of principled, bipartisan advocacy and practical impact will serve as the foundation for NAICU's work today, tomorrow, and for the next fifty years.
National Economic Engines
Private, nonprofit colleges and universities generated $838.9 billion in economic impact during fiscal year 2024, supporting more than 4.1 million jobs and contributing $535.1 billion to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), according to a new report released today by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).
The economic impact of private, nonprofit higher education extends well beyond graduation. In fiscal year 2024, more than 1.1 million graduates entered the workforce, generating an estimated $199.4 billion in one-year economic impact and supporting nearly 888,000 additional jobs through the increased earning power associated with higher education credentials.
