Consortium: Schools Among Region’s Last Growth Industries

The Colleges of Worcester Consortium says in its 2007-08 annual report that 15,800 Worcester County residents attended the consortium's member schools this year.

Of the 15,800, 5,000 were from Worcester and took advantage of $12 million in scholarships. Consortium schools offered a total of $43 million in scholarships to Worcester County residents for the 2007-08 year, according to the report.

The consortium says the 2007-08 year demonstrated that education, along with health care, remains one of the region's only growth industries. About $400 million in payroll was paid to Worcester County residents by consortium schools while consortium members spent $90 million on goods and services in the county.

There were 19,000 member school alumni living in Worcester during the year and 63,000 alumni living in Worcester County.

Consortium member are: Anna Maria College in Paxton, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, Atlantic Union College in Lancaster, Nichols College in Dudley and Quinsigamond Community College, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester State College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Assumption College, Becker College, Clark University, the College of the Holy Cross and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Worcester.