Our economic and social impact

About our social and economic impact 

More than a century ago, the University of Sheffield was established on civic principles, a foundation that continues to drive our commitment to delivering economic, health, educational, social, and cultural benefits to Sheffield and beyond. 

To gain a deeper understanding of our impact, particularly in South Yorkshire, we commissioned a study by London Economics. 

Their analysis, focusing on the 2022-23 academic year, provides compelling evidence of the University's significant economic and social contributions to the city, region, and the UK.

“The findings demonstrate how critical universities like ours are to the long-term economic and social prosperity of the UK – whether that is here in our region, or on a national or global scale. The government has been clear that it wants universities to make an even stronger contribution to economic growth, while increasing their civic role.

Professor Koen Lamberts

President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield

Key economic impact findings 

• The total economic impact associated with the University of Sheffield activities in 2022-23 stood at £4.82 billion
• For every £1 of expenditure, £6.40 of impact was generated by The University of Sheffield
• The estimated impact of the University research and knowledge exchange activities stands at £1.8 billion
• The impact of the University’s expenditure on the UK economy stood at £539 million
• The University generated £55 million of intellectual property (IP) licensing income
• The impact of the 2022-23 cohort of international students stood at £1.3 billion.

Regional impact 

• Our activities supported a total of 22,990 full time jobs across the UK economy in 2022-23 and over half of the University of Sheffield’s regional impact is felt in Yorkshire and the Humber, of which more than 80% occurs in South Yorkshire.
• The number of University of Sheffield spinouts and start-ups operating in the UK in 2022-23, with 60% located in South Yorkshire.
• University of Sheffield graduates remain in Yorkshire and the Humber than from any other regional institution, and our graduates achieve higher rates of sustained employment or further study compared to other Russell Group universities in Great Britain.

Social impact

• The University has 2,200 student volunteers, who contribute more than 36,000 hours of their time to local community groups and charities.

• Our healthcare students also make an impact even before graduation, in 2022-23, 750 students contributed over 365,000 hours to NHS clinical placements, directly improving patient lives.  

Our universities are vital to the regional economy, and they help us to showcase just how much Sheffield has to offer on a global scale. The University is an important partner, and we look forward to continuing our relationship, driving economic growth and building on Sheffield's status as a vibrant, warm and welcoming place to live, work and study.”

Councillor Martin Smith

Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee at Sheffield City Council