A study commissioned by King College shows the Bristol school contributes about $50 million a year to the economies of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Dr. Fred Martin, an educational consultant who conducted the study, examined the five-year period from 2005 to 2010; he estimated in that time, King College contributed more than $250 million to the region’s economy — an average of $50.1 million a year.

Over the five-year period, Martin determined that through its expenditures, the college generated $124 million in local business volume; created more than 9,000 local full-time-equivalent jobs, including the college’s own 1,103 full-time jobs over the five years; and generated $126.5 million in individual income.

Not surprisingly, much of the economic benefits stayed local, according to Martin.

“The region most economically benefited by King College’s operation includes the counties of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, with approximately 98 percent of the college’s expenditures being made in that area,” the study said.

Also worth noting is what the study doesn’t include, Martin said.

“We didn’t factor in the value that results from the improved productivity and quality of life achieved through increased education, nor did we include the impact of having educated citizens and leaders available for employees and organizations,” he said. “That sort of indirect economic impact cannot be forgotten.”

Martin said his analysis was based on the Caffrey model, which was developed in 1968 and considered a standard by the American Council of Education. The Caffrey model is considered more sophisticated and more reliable than other models that simply apply a single economic impact multiplier, Martin said.