Economic Impact Report Introduction

This report assesses, and where possible quantifies, St. John Fisher College’s economic and community impact on Monroe County, in the greater Rochester area and throughout New York state.

About St. John Fisher College

St. John Fisher College, located in Pittsford, New York (about seven miles east of Rochester) is an independent, non-profit educational institution “in the Catholic tradition.” The College was founded in the late 1940s by priests of the Basilian order, and enrolled its first students in 1951. Since then it has grown to become one of the ten largest independent colleges and universities in upstate New York.

Fisher offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees through five schools:

• The School of Arts and Sciences;
• The School of Business;
• The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education;
• The Wegmans School of Nursing; and
• The Wegmans School of Pharmacy.

About the 2019 Economic Impact Report

The report was prepared by Appleseed, a New York City-based consulting firm with extensive experience working with major colleges and universities in the U.S.

Part One of the report examines Fisher’s impact as an enterprise – as an employer, a purchaser of goods and services, and a sponsor of construction projects – as well as the impact of off-campus spending by its students and visitors to Fisher. Part Two discusses Fisher’s role in the development of the Rochester area’s human capital.

Part Three highlights the multiple ways in which Fisher helps to serve and strengthen Rochester-area communities; and Part Four briefly notes several reasons why Fisher’s impact in the Rochester area and throughout New York state is likely to grow in the years ahead.

A Note on Geography

In various sections of the report, St. John Fisher College’s impact is addressed at three different geographic levels – Monroe County, the greater Rochester area (including Monroe and six other counties: Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne and Wyoming) and New York state.