COLUMBIA, Ky. – Lindsey Wilson College is worth nearly $100 million annually to Adair County.
That’s one of the findings of a recent economic impact study released by the Association of Kentucky Colleges and Universities.
The study, conducted by Quinnipiac (Connecticut) University economics professor Mark Paul Gius, shows that collectively Kentucky’s 18 independent, nonprofit colleges and universities contributed $2.06 billion to the state and local economies during 2021-22, the most recent period for which data was available. A school’s total economic impact can be measured in terms of the direct and induced economic impact of a university’s activity on the local economy.
Lindsey Wilson’s direct impact on the Adair County economy in 2021-22 was $91 million. But as Lindsey Wilson President William T. Luckey Jr. pointed it, the college’s impact on the county has grown a great deal since the most recent study was conducted.
“A figure of $91 million is impressive, but we know that the economic impact of Lindsey Wilson on Columbia and Adair County is much greater in 2025 than it was three years ago,” said Luckey, who has been Lindsey Wilson’s eighth president since 1998. “Since the 2021-22 school year, Lindsey Wilson’s enrollment has expanded by more than 1,600 students to reach a total enrollment of over 4,000 students.”
Of Lindsey Wilson’s $91 million impact on Adair County in 2021-22, $77 million came through direct spending by employees, students, visitors, and college purchases and investment spending. This school year, Lindsey Wilson employs more than 300 people on its A.P. White Campus in Columbia, and more than 900 students are living on campus.
Especially noteworthy is that visitors to Lindsey Wilson in 2021-22 accounted for $1 million in spending.
“Residential college students have been called ‘nine-month tourists’ because while they are living on campus, they spend money with local businesses and restaurants in the local community,” said Luckey. “Our residential students also attract a substantial number of visitors to Adair County throughout the school year, especially through campus visitors who attend plays, athletic contests or other special events at Lindsey Wilson.”
The induced impact of Lindsey Wilson on Adair County – which is the additional employment and expenditures of local businesses caused by the college’s director spending – was $14 million in 2021-22.
“Columbia-Adair County is a great place to call home for many reasons,” said Luckey. “Our region offers residents a wonderful quality of life, and it is an honor that Lindsey Wilson can be part of the equation that attracts people to live in this community.”
(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson College)