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Colleges’ Revenue and Expenditures, FY 2010

August 26, 2012

Public four-year institutions get nearly a fifth of their revenue and public two-year institutions get a quarter of their revenue from state appropriations, with state funds exceeding tuition and fees as a source of revenue. Most types of institutions devote about a third of their expenditures to instruction, though both private for-profit four-year colleges and public four-year colleges devote a smaller share than that to instruction.

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Colleges’ Revenue and Expenditures, FY 2010

	Public 4-year institutions		Public 2-year institutions
	Amount (in thousands)	Share of net total	Amount (in thousands)	Share of net total
REVENUE
Operating
Tuition and fees	$46,943,248	18.9%	$8,987,234	16.3%
Federal grants and contracts*	$26,272,013	10.6%	$2,125,654	3.8%
State grants and contracts	$5,301,243	2.1%	$1,602,978	2.9%
Local grants and contracts	$9,062,160	3.7%	$557,973	1.0%
Sales and services of auxiliary enterprises	$20,099,137	8.1%	$2,074,563	3.8%
Sales and services of hospitals	$29,236,931	11.8%	$0	0.0%
Independent operations	$1,343,230	0.5%	$0	0.0%
Other	$13,894,006	5.6%	$920,338	1.7%
Nonoperating
Federal appropriations	$2,006,623	0.8%	$145,606	0.3%
State appropriations	$48,721,670	19.6%	$13,734,565	24.9%
Local appropriations	$431,615	0.2%	$9,522,890	17.2%
Federal grants	$10,318,977	4.2%	$10,421,125	18.9%
State grants	$2,088,155	0.8%	$1,035,203	1.9%
Local grants	$134,608	0.1%	$96,496	0.2%
Gifts	$5,646,279	2.3%	$230,170	0.4%
Investment income	$9,666,292	3.9%	$380,318	0.7%
Other	$4,595,894	1.9%	$614,128	1.1%
Additions and other
Capital appropriations	$4,003,617	1.6%	$2,037,393	3.7%
Capital grants and gifts	$3,312,753	1.3%	$467,258	0.8%
Additions to permanent endowments	$853,705	0.3%	$16,245	0.0%
Other	$4,172,713	1.7%	$254,532	0.5%
Total	$248,104,870	100.0%	$55,224,668	100.0%

EXPENDITURES
Operating
Instruction	$58,268,076	25.3%	$18,024,027	35.2%
Research	$28,057,280	12.2%	$20,711	0.0%
Public service	$10,752,578	4.7%	$753,776	1.5%
Academic support	$15,355,204	6.7%	$3,523,280	6.9%
Student services	$8,755,313	3.8%	$4,382,619	8.6%
Institutional support	$16,348,654	7.1%	$6,336,980	12.4%
Operation and maintenance of plant	$13,675,766	5.9%	$4,376,513	8.6%
Depreciation	$12,311,891	5.3%	$1,994,806	3.9%
Scholarships and fellowships	$9,092,603	3.9%	$6,342,889	12.4%
Auxiliary enterprises	$18,120,806	7.9%	$2,336,300	4.6%
Hospitals	$26,674,882	11.6%	$0	0.0%
Independent operations	$1,236,092	0.5%	$0	0.0%
Interest	$4,091,219	1.8%	$970,721	1.9%
Other	$7,475,682	3.2%	$2,089,648	4.1%
Total	$230,216,045	100.0%	$51,152,269	100.0%

	Private nonprofit 4-year institutions		Private nonprofit 2-year institutions
	Amount (in thousands)	Share of net total	Amount (in thousands)	Share of net total
REVENUE
Tuition and fees (net of allowances)	$56,056,932	33.3%	$298,930	57.6%
Federal appropriations, grants, and contracts	$22,843,558	13.6%	$70,235	13.5%
State appropriations, grants, and contracts	$1,708,542	1.0%	$13,117	2.5%
Local appropriations, grants, and contracts	$470,530	0.3%	$895	0.2%
Private gifts, grants, and contracts	$17,966,413	10.7%	$50,847	9.8%
Investment return	$28,404,786	16.9%	$20,795	4.0%
Educational activities	$4,814,426	2.9%	$7,400	1.4%
Auxiliary enterprises	$14,044,652	8.4%	$35,677	6.9%
Hospitals	$16,541,461	9.8%	$0	0.0%
Other	$5,318,679	3.2%	$21,368	4.1%
Total	$168,169,978	100.0%	$519,264	100.0%

EXPENDITURES
Instruction	$47,320,761	32.7%	$165,538	33.7%
Research	$16,154,889	11.2%	$585	0.1%
Public service	$2,084,704	1.4%	$5,041	1.0%
Academic support	$12,896,579	8.9%	$42,909	8.7%
Student services	$11,347,049	7.8%	$69,129	14.1%
Institutional support	$19,297,756	13.3%	$135,357	27.6%
Auxiliary enterprises	$13,852,640	9.6%	$34,402	7.0%
Net grant aid to students	$824,895	0.6%	$7,183	1.5%
Hospitals	$13,174,405	9.1%	$0	0.0%
Independent operations	$5,154,851	3.6%	$0	0.0%
Other	$2,542,611	1.8%	$30,502	6.2%
Total	$144,651,140	100.0%	$490,645	100.0%

	Private for-profit 4-year institutions		Private for-profit 2-year institutions
	Amount (in thousands)	Share of net total	Amount (in thousands)	Share of net total
REVENUE
Tuition and fees (net of allowances)	$17,321,210	91.2%	$5,052,841	88.6%
Federal appropriations, grants, and contracts	$1,226,115	6.5%	$725,087	12.7%
State and local appropriations, grants, and contracts	$69,168	0.4%	$44,907	0.8%
Private gifts, grants, and contracts	$35,634	0.2%	$2,664	0.0%
Investment return	$35,949	0.2%	$4,166	0.1%
Educational activities	$376,427	2.0%	$59,092	1.0%
Auxiliary enterprises	$372,285	2.0%	$112,930	2.0%
Other	-$453,538^†	-2.4%	-$300,108	-5.3%
Total	$18,983,250	100.0%	$5,701,579	100.0%

EXPENDITURES
Instruction	$3,259,657	21.3%	$1,491,172	31.8%
Research and public service	$10,726	0.1%	$2,531	0.1%
Student services, academic and institutional support	$10,587,709	69.3%	$2,499,272	53.3%
Auxiliary enterprises	$337,501	2.2%	$128,542	2.7%
Net grant aid to students	$72,265	0.5%	$47,950	1.0%
Other	$1,018,691	6.7%	$517,643	11.0%
Total	$15,286,549	100.0%	$4,687,110	100.0%

* Excludes federal direct student loans
† Sometimes revenue sources that typically provide income, such as dividends or real estate, can yield negative returns.
Note: Public and private colleges use different accounting standards, so the revenue and expense categories differ. Because of rounding, details may not add up to totals.

Source: U.S. Education Department