OMAHA — As Nebraska continues to battle “brain drain,” leaders from the Omaha campus of the state’s public university tout that 67% of its bachelor’s degree graduates remain in the Cornhusker State at least five years after getting diplomas.

They say nearly 80,000 alumni of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, including Mayor John Ewing Jr. and wife Viv, currently live in the Omaha metro area.

Also, according to a 13-page report released Wednesday, UNO alumni generated an estimated $2.4 billion in total economic impact last year in the Omaha metro area as a result of earning their degrees. That amount reflects the increased purchasing power that can be justified because of the degree, not the entire salary of the alumni, said UNO economics professor Christopher Decker, who led the research.

Such findings were key to the report commissioned by the UNO Alumni Association. UNO officials said that while the University of Nebraska has released studies on the statewide economic impact of its campuses, the newly released study was the first in UNO’s 117-year history to focus on the impact that its alumni have on the Omaha metro area.

Brain Gain Versus Drain

A big take away according to Decker was that many UNO graduates buck a trend of young professionals and college graduates moving away from their home state.

“Our graduates are flipping the narrative from brain drain to brain gain, and that’s a game changer for the future of our city and our state,” he said.

UNO chancellor Joanne Li said the findings reinforce that UNO alumni are a driving force behind Omaha’s economy.

Ewing said he sees the impact daily in businesses, classrooms and neighborhoods.

“This report confirms what we’ve known for a long time: the strength of Omaha is the strength of its people,” the mayor  said in a statement accompanying the study.

To come up with the estimated total economic impact, Decker looked at income that UNO alumni command due to their respective degrees and the value of goods and services produced and sold in the metropolitan area in 2024.

He said alumni enjoy higher earnings due to degrees, and therefore the Omaha area benefits from increased purchasing power. The report estimated that last year, the increased income led to $1.4 billion in direct spending. Another $546 million of “indirect” impact came from spending by businesses mobilizing supply chains to meet demand, and $456 million in further ripple was due to the additional labor needs.

Decker said the economic impact figure would be larger if full salaries of alumni were  considered. “If you looked at the alumni’s entire income and analyzed that spending, the total economic impact would be a lot larger on the Omaha economy.”

The report estimated tax revenue, however, based on the full estimated salaries of UNO alumni living in the Omaha area. That total tax revenue, Decker said, amounted to about $975 million last year.

Another highlight of the report pertained to jobs. Increased spending by UNO degree-holders supported an estimated 7,622 Omaha area jobs in 2024. Indirect and induced effects led to an additional 4,837 jobs.

Strength In Internships, Partnerships

The share of UNO bachelor’s degree holders who remained in the state was based on 2024 data from the Nebraska Department of Labor, which looked at graduations from 2012 through 2018. That period allowed analysis of those working after graduation for at least five years.

The report’s release comes on the heels of an announcement that the U.S. Department of Education was investigating UNO and four other universities nationally for scholarship programs that allegedly favor foreign-born students and underrepresented minority students. UNO declined to comment on the probe other than to say it would cooperate with federal investigators and that it continually evaluates scholarships to ensure compliance with state and federal law.

Anthony Flott, executive director of the UNO Alumni Association, said he has long wanted to quantify the economic growth of UNO graduates to the city,  and that the timing of the report had nothing to do with the federal probe.

UNO, he noted, was founded as a private, religiously affiliated institution based in North Omaha. It evolved into a city-owned university and in 1968 became part of the state system.

Flott says the economic contribution report underscores the importance of UNO to the city and relationships built through the campus’ approach to mentorship, internships  and industry partnerships.

“The momentum we’re seeing is real, “ Flott said. “It’s making an impact where it matters most — in careers, companies and communities across Omaha.”

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/07/30/degrees-of-uno-alums-living-in-o...