The paper evaluates the regional and local economic impact of the University of Cardiff, dividing its effects into two major sides: ”expenditure impacts” and ”knowledge impacts”. It reviews the major tools and methodologies available in the literature to assess the two sides. It measures the ”expenditure impact” in the financial year 2000-2001 through a Keynesian multiplier model developed by the Centre for Advanced Social Studies (CASS) in order to compare that same impact in the financial year 1994-1995. It assesses the university’s ”knowledge impact” through two main variables: 1) employment and destination of graduates or ”people impact”; 2) kind of knowledge produced. It concludes that Cardiff University’s graduates enjoy a full-employment and, according to our conceptual framework (Tavoletti, 2005), it classifies Cardiff’s higher education system as ”non-active” positional competition and ”social knowledge” production.