In spring 2006, the Higher Education Council of Berks County (HECBC) conducted a study to measure the economic impact of the five colleges located in Berks County: Alvernia College, Albright College, Kutztown University, Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus (Penn State Berks) and Reading Area Community College (RACC). Although many higher education institutions have been subjected to economic impact analyses, the lead investigators are unaware of any one economic impact study that investigated a set of institutions as varied as the institutions included in the HECBC economic impact study. The five direct measures of economic impacts compiled for the study were core expenditures, student discretionary spending, estimates of rental payments, campus visitors and student volunteer time. Indirect economic impacts were derived from core expenditures, student discretionary spending and visitors to campus. The five colleges in Berks County contribute greatly to the Berks County economy. Overall, this study estimates that the direct and indirect economic impacts to the local economy are $923 million conservatively with and an upper bound of over $1.2 billion. These economic impact estimates are comparable to the 2003 Pennsylvania State University Economic Impact Survey and the 2006 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Economic Impact Study. That said, the economic impact study does not address many additional economic benefits that the five colleges provide. Mainly, the economic impact of alumni, charitable contributions, faculty research, grant obtainment, small business entrepreneurial and incubator resources and college partnerships with business and industry were not explored in this study. (Contains 3 figures and 9 tables.)