Greater Manchester’s universities contribute more than £4bn to the regional economy every year, educate 125,000+ students and employ more than 20,000 staff. But figures only tell part of the story.

Published today, the Greater Manchester Civic University Board 2026 Annual Report sets out what that contribution looks like in practice, and how the Civic University Agreement is working to make universities’ civic activity more visible and consistently felt across the city region.

A Year of Progress

This year marked the first update to the agreement’s shared priorities since 2021. Developed alongside the GMCA and shaped by what residents across all ten boroughs told the Greater Manchester Citizens’ Panel matters most, the four refreshed priorities – Opportunity & Prosperity, Health & Wellbeing, Culture and Environment – reflect where GM’s universities can make the greatest collective difference. For The University of Manchester, this work is closely aligned with Manchester 2035 and our ambition to be a great civic university for the 21st century: values-led, socially responsible and committed to co-creating solutions with partners and communities, particularly with people and places higher education has not always reached. They also connect directly to the refreshed Greater Manchester Strategy, launched last summer, which recognises universities as a central part of the city region’s ambitious ten-year vision.

Speaking at the time, then Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:

“Greater Manchester’s universities make a massive contribution to our city region, one that goes far beyond educating students. These refreshed civic priorities reflect the breadth of our universities’ impact across our society and economy, from creating jobs and supporting business innovation to enriching our culture. We recently set out our vision for Greater Manchester’s next decade of growth and we know our universities have a vital role to play in our continued success.”

Behind the Figures

Between 2022 and 2027, GM’s universities will train an estimated 9,500 nurses, 3,500 doctors and 8,500 teachers, the professionals our public services and communities depend on. But their contribution doesn’t stop at graduation. Across all disciplines, 40% of graduates remain in Greater Manchester, building careers and putting their skills to work in the city region they studied in. To put faces to those figures, our universities worked with the Manchester Evening News to share the stories of five of them, whose careers show what the civic mission looks like in practice.

A safeguarding nurse supporting vulnerable teenagers, a GP who came to university through a widening participation programme and pledged his digital health technology to Manchester for free, a community physiotherapist helping people stay at home rather than going into hospital . All five studied here, and all five are now putting their skills to work for the city region which helped shape their careers.

Looking Ahead

The Greater Manchester Post-16 Skills Pathways project, developed in partnership with further education colleges, the GMCA and employers, will provide new insight into how learners move through the city region’s education and skills system and where barriers to progression remain. Building on this, the Board will develop a five-year implementation plan over the coming year to turn its refreshed priorities into practical action.

As the agreement enters its next phase, the focus is not just on what Greater Manchester’s universities achieve together, but how they communicate it. By working more visibly and with a collective voice, the universities can better champion the region’s strengths on a national stage, while ensuring their day-to-day impact remains firmly rooted in local priorities and genuinely felt across Greater Manchester. This matches The University of Manchester’s ambition to be the partner of choice for those who share commitment to excellence and to turning knowledge into impact for the public good: open, values-led and focused on making a difference in the North and beyond.