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The short answer to the question, “Is college still worth it?” is, “It depends.”

Attending higher education institutions may impart an array of societal and personal development benefits. Still, one factor of increasing import that raises the question of the worthiness of attaining a college education in a market-driven economy is the personal cost involved. The question becomes even more pertinent based on three trends: rising costs, decreasing employment opportunities for college graduates and a fair share of Americans having little or no confidence in higher education. 

In the last twenty years, there has been a critical shift in the technology transfer landscape that calls for a fundamental overhaul of university Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) from focusing on passive IP management to active startup development, according to a recent SSRN article.

Recognizing Louisiana’s lag in some prosperity metrics, loss of talent over the past decade, and need to build a more competitive economy among its southern state peers, the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) has created a strategic plan that emphasizes innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship as the means to address the challenges and opportunities it faces in creating a more robust and talent-attracting economy.

Imagine tapping into a talent pool already familiar with your region's culture, values, and challenges. This scenario is the core idea behind affinity recruiting, a strategy where communities and businesses actively target former residents, alums, and individuals with a genuine connection to the area. These initiatives aim to entice them for job opportunities, entrepreneurial ventures, leadership roles, or investment.

Exploring gross domestic product (GDP) at the county level offers a more detailed look at where industries are located and how they shape local economies, especially in smaller or more rural counties often overlooked at higher geographic levels.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s Narrative Profiles is an online resource that presents American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates as easily digestible analytic reports.

States with economies based on resource extraction are among the least diversified in the country—they know well the boom-and-bust cycles that come with that concentration.

Gov.

With President Trump’s March 31 signature on an executive order to create a United States Investment Accelerator within the Department of Commerce aimed to help expedite development of foreign and domestic manufacturing investments priced at over $1 Billion, there is concern about what impact one sentence has on the existing $52 Billion in CHIPs related deals across the country. Some of the projects have been on ice since the change of Administration. 

Numerous reports across the country indicate the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has taken the first step toward eliminating the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, which, for nearly 40 years, has provided technical assistance, training, research and strategic direction to tens of thousands of small and medium manufacturers across the country. Reports vary as to whether 10 or 11 of the 51 centers across the U.S.

The April 2025 issue of NBER Digest, a publication of the National Bureau of Economic Research, includes the following summary of a recent working paper. NBER grants permission to reproduce the piece here. While the research focuses on students’ experiences only in Texas, SSTI believes the findings likely could have policy value in other geographies striving to increase workers’ skill sets in an increasingly innovation driven economy.

April 16, 2025, 2:00pm EDT
Free, registration required

How one applies and has their proposal reviewed to gain a small share of the world's largest funding source for life science research is changing. The following highlights modifications affecting grant applications submitted to the National Institutes of Health for due dates on or after January 25, 2025, as posted on their Implementation of New Initiatives and Policies page.

Many metropolitan areas grapple with demographic shifts, labor shortages, and changing economic conditions, so understanding the factors that encourage former residents to return may help policymakers design more effective strategies for talent retention and regional revitalization.

White House

The Senate has confirmed Michael Kratsios to serve as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. 

Pennsylvania Gov.

As U.S. research institutions face funding uncertainty, countries and universities worldwide are launching initiatives to lure away our scientific talent:

NOTE: The nation's community of technology-based economic development organizations is in its annual report season, and we've already seen several releases from SSTI members. All document TBED's impact on advancing research, moving it to market, and helping businesses improve their profitability and competitiveness.

In a country marked by regional diversity, gaining insights into economic performance often means looking beyond conventional state and county boundaries to economic hubs. This edition of Useful Stats uses Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data to first compare U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan GDPs broken down by industry for the last 20+ years, then consider each Metropolitan Statistical Area’s GDP by private industry, highlighting patterns and changes over the past decades.  

The Angel Capital Association (ACA) reports seed stage investments accounted for almost 60% of the total angel deals in 2021, up from 50% in 2020.  These seed stage angel investments represented more than half of the $950 million invested by 180 ACA member groups in 2021.  ACA estimates that portfolio companies raised more than $5 billion, suggesting leverage of more than 5X their initial angel investments. Based on member-submitted direct investment data, the 2022 Angel Funders Report provides an overview of early stage investment trends.

California Gov.

Regional cooperation economic development is believed to stimulate growth in various ways, including increased trade, enhanced movement of technologies from lab to market, and improved resource allocation. Federal support for innovation-driven growth has increasingly forced applicants to take integrated regional approaches. However, empirical evidence on the specific impacts of such cooperation is scant.

A recent Executive Order from the White House could jeopardize the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund and put at risk investments in small businesses. The EO calls for the “non-statutory components and functions” of several governmental entities, among them are the CDFI and the Minority Business Development Agency, “to be eliminated ...