IDFA continues to demonstrate that the dairy industry has a powerful economic impact – $628 billion in total – on the American economy.

Did you know that dairy also indirectly supports unique industries across the nation, like higher education? Ensuring access to higher education is one of the country’s main priorities, and people who attend college tend not only to make more money throughout their lives but also enhance society through the arts, science and technical advancement. 

Dairy companies, distributors and retailers support American higher education in a number of ways. More than 11,730 jobs in American colleges, junior colleges and professional schools depend on spending by the dairy industry or dairy industry employees. More than 390 of these jobs are in specialized fields, like business administration or agricultural sciences, and  depend on direct spending by dairy manufacturers to train and educate their employees.

Nearly 11,340 additional jobs in higher education result from dairy company and supplier employees attending college, junior college and technical schools or sending their children to these institutions to learn new trades and ideas. 

All told, the dairy industry creates more than $752.4 million in wages and nearly $1.470 billion in economic impact for American colleges, junior colleges and technical schools.

Dairy Delivers®

IDFA is sharing these deep dives into the data of Dairy Delivers®, its economic impact tool, to demonstrate dairy’s economic power and its ripple effect on other American industries.

Members with questions may contact Dave Carlin, IDFA senior vice president of legislative affairs and economic policy, at dcarlin@idfa.org.