University Students Spend €5,600 Annually in Alicante, Generating an Impact of €234 Million

University students in Alicante's public universities spend approximately €5,600 each academic year. This figure excludes tuition fees and covers living expenses such as housing rent, transportation, food, and study materials. However, this amount varies if the student is from outside the region, increasing to €6,300 per year.

Another factor affecting these figures is whether students are pursuing postgraduate studies, which raises annual expenses. This increase varies between the University of Alicante (UA) and Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH). For UMH students, expenses rise to €6,000, while for UA students, they reach €8,800.

The figures are drawn from the latest annual report by the Valencian Public University System (SUPV), which highlights its social and economic contributions. Focusing on undergraduate students, who form the majority of the university community, the main expense is housing, including rent and utilities.

UA students spend €1,081 on housing, which is €100 less than UMH students. This is followed by transportation costs ranging from €938 to €974, €870 on food and drink, between €530 and €614 on dining out, and between €400 and €630 on academies, courses, books, and stationery.

These expenses contribute €234 million to Alicante's economy, with housing accounting for a quarter of this (€58.3 million). UA is the third Valencian public university in terms of economic impact, generating €156.4 million annually, with €122.4 million from undergraduate students and €33.9 million from postgraduates.

UMH ranks fifth among Alicante universities, contributing €77.9 million: €58.8 million from undergraduates and €19.1 million from postgraduates.

In addition to student expenses, visits from family and friends, particularly those involved in mobility programs, add to the economic impact. According to SUPV, 38.5% of these students receive an average of 2.3 visits per year, each lasting seven days and involving two people. These visits contribute over €1.7 million, with €1.3 million attributed to UA and €412,000 to UMH.