Strathclyde University has piloted a study that will allow universities to gauge their impact on local economies.
It has revealed the impact it has on the economies of Scotland and the city of Glasgow. The university is among Glasgow's top ten employers, with more than 3,200 staff, and is one of its biggest businesses, with an annual turnover of £166 million.
Universities UK has signed a contract with Strathclyde that means that every university will have the chance to highlight the added value it brings to its region.
Ursula Kelly, who produced the latest Strathclyde report with Iain McNicoll and Donald McLellan, said: "It's important for universities to be able to point this out and keep pointing it out."
Strathclyde has produced impact studies for Liverpool University and higher education in London. It is devising a UK-wide modelling framework that will translate an institution's financial model into how its stimulates the regional and national economy.