Read more: A QuickTake explainer on the riches of university endowments
Stanford has the fourth-largest endowment at $22.4 billion. Donations helped offset Stanford’s modest investment loss, in addition to “a strong increase in value” of campus real estate held by the school. About 15 percent of the endowment is made up of real estate holdings off campus leased to companies, hotels and other firms, according to the school. Stanford’s fiscal year ends in August, and its fund captured two strong months of performance.
The University of Southern California came in third, with $667 million in donations, followed by Johns Hopkins University, with $657 million; the University of California-San Francisco with $596 million; and Cornell University at $588 million.
Donations from individuals declined from the previous year. Those from alumni dropped 8.5 percent and by 6 percent from non-alumni, while giving from corporations grew by almost 15 percent. Support from foundations and other organizations was also up, according to the survey. Gifts for financial aid have been steady at about 16 percent for about a decade.
About 950 schools responded to the survey, and the group used data to estimate a total for institutions that didn’t respond.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.