Nearly two-thirds of expenditures at four-year for-profit institutions went to student services and academic and institutional support in the 2015 fiscal year, while only 30 percent of four-year nonprofit institutions’ expenditures and 18 percent of four-year public institutions’ expenditures were devoted to those areas. Public institutions spent more on instruction than they collected in tuition and fees. In contrast, for-profit institutions spent on instruction only 26 percent of what they collected in tuition and fees.
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4-year public institutions
Revenue
| Tuition and fees | $60,604,714,839 | 22.2% |
| Federal grants and contracts | $24,065,061,180 | 8.8% |
| State grants and contracts | $5,256,488,148 | 1.9% |
| Local grants and contracts | $11,450,036,918 | 4.2% |
| Sales and services of auxiliary enterprises | $23,974,684,649 | 8.8% |
| Sales and services of hospitals | $38,377,649,416 | 14.0% |
| Independent operations | $1,476,595,029 | 0.5% |
| Other operating revenue | $15,724,750,368 | 5.8% |
| Total operating revenue | $180,929,980,547 | 66.2% |
| Federal appropriations | $1,631,794,720 | 0.6% |
| State appropriations | $48,653,184,885 | 17.8% |
| Local appropriations | $481,903,325 | 0.2% |
| Federal grants | $11,268,692,425 | 4.1% |
| State grants | $2,830,999,296 | 1.0% |
| Local grants | $158,090,709 | 0.1% |
| Gifts | $7,301,471,283 | 2.7% |
| Investment income | $3,016,949,131 | 1.1% |
| Other nonoperating revenue | $3,630,183,000 | 1.3% |
| Total nonoperating revenue | $78,973,268,774 | 28.9% |
| Capital appropriations | $4,346,930,633 | 1.6% |
| Capital grants and gifts | $3,330,209,536 | 1.2% |
| Additions to permanent endowments | $822,068,791 | 0.3% |
| Other additions and other | $4,827,942,097 | 1.8% |
| Total other | $13,327,151,057 | 4.9% |
| Total revenue | $273,230,400,378 | 100.0% |
Expenditures
| Instruction | $67,159,616,992 | 25.9% |
| Research | $28,369,510,637 | 11.0% |
| Public service | $11,107,053,584 | 4.3% |
| Academic support | $18,362,918,670 | 7.1% |
| Student services | $10,864,216,958 | 4.2% |
| Institutional support | $17,269,143,494 | 6.7% |
| Operation and maintenance of plant | $15,207,487,609 | 5.9% |
| Depreciation | $15,852,956,454 | 6.1% |
| Scholarships and fellowships | $9,995,201,395 | 3.9% |
| Auxiliary enterprises | $21,215,135,367 | 8.2% |
| Hospitals | $34,303,645,839 | 13.2% |
| Independent operations | $1,461,335,812 | 0.6% |
| Interest | $4,612,437,153 | 1.8% |
| Other expenditures | $3,162,114,773 | 1.2% |
| Total expenditures | $258,942,774,737 | 100.0% |
4-year private nonprofit institutions
| Tuition and fees | $69,633,450,187 | 34.9% |
| Federal appropriations, grants, and contracts | $16,789,990,710 | 8.4% |
| State appropriations, grants, and contracts | $1,475,381,725 | 0.7% |
| Local appropriations, grants, and contracts | $462,208,317 | 0.2% |
| Private gifts, grants, and contracts | $25,016,076,806 | 12.5% |
| Contributions from affiliated entities | $1,802,053,484 | 0.9% |
| Investment return | $21,273,399,690 | 10.7% |
| Educational activities | $6,718,716,559 | 3.4% |
| Auxiliary enterprises | $16,925,669,813 | 8.5% |
| Hospitals | $23,883,794,957 | 12.0% |
| Independent operations | $7,351,627,978 | 3.7% |
| Other revenue | $8,143,311,273 | 4.1% |
| Total revenue | $199,475,681,499 | 100.0% |
| Instruction | $58,601,756,093 | 32.4% |
| Research | $18,286,249,989 | 10.1% |
| Public service | $2,633,474,654 | 1.5% |
| Academic support | $15,487,896,331 | 8.6% |
| Student services | $15,191,290,734 | 8.4% |
| Institutional support | $23,715,691,184 | 13.1% |
| Auxiliary enterprises | $16,298,341,290 | 9.0% |
| Net grant aid to students | $893,503,651 | 0.5% |
| Hospitals | $20,529,449,507 | 11.4% |
| Independent operations | $6,063,554,650 | 3.4% |
| Other expenditures | $2,984,030,471 | 1.7% |
| Total expenditures | $180,685,238,554 | 100.0% |
4-year for-profit institutions
| Tuition and fees | $14,283,918,227 | 90.3% |
| Federal appropriations, grants, and contracts | $626,311,064 | 4.0% |
| State and local appropriations, grants, and contracts | $37,569,999 | 0.2% |
| Private grants and contracts | $14,474,276 | 0.1% |
| Investment return | $34,275,991 | 0.2% |
| Educational activities | $198,392,796 | 1.3% |
| Auxiliary enterprises | $370,773,282 | 2.3% |
| Other revenue | $250,541,882 | 1.6% |
| Total revenue | $15,816,379,779 | 100.0% |
| Instruction | $3,723,133,608 | 26.3% |
| Research and public service | $17,451,321 | 0.1% |
| Academic and institutional support, and student services | $9,190,633,823 | 64.8% |
| Auxiliary enterprises | $336,245,282 | 2.4% |
| Net grant aid to students | $33,088,776 | 0.2% |
| Other expenditures | $874,248,673 | 6.2% |
| Total expenditures | $14,174,801,483 | 100.0% |
2-year public institutions
Revenue
| Tuition and fees | $9,250,862,795 | 16.9% |
| Federal grants and contracts | $1,685,078,031 | 3.1% |
| State grants and contracts | $1,742,881,594 | 3.2% |
| Local grants and contracts | $533,959,935 | 1.0% |
| Sales and services of auxiliary enterprises | $1,719,048,476 | 3.1% |
| Sales and services of hospitals | $0 | 0.0% |
| Independent operations | $0 | 0.0% |
| Other operating revenue | $860,181,549 | 1.6% |
| Total operating revenue | $15,792,012,380 | 28.9% |
| Federal appropriations | $36,673,570 | 0.1% |
| State appropriations | $13,717,324,460 | 25.1% |
| Local appropriations | $9,988,686,597 | 18.3% |
| Federal grants | $10,236,685,767 | 18.7% |
| State grants | $1,476,372,907 | 2.7% |
| Local grants | $112,828,936 | 0.2% |
| Gifts | $314,807,619 | 0.6% |
| Investment income | $139,365,542 | 0.3% |
| Other nonoperating revenue | $628,073,508 | 1.1% |
| Total nonoperating revenue | $36,650,818,906 | 67.1% |
| Capital appropriations | $1,626,348,132 | 3.0% |
| Capital grants and gifts | $324,694,970 | 0.6% |
| Additions to permanent endowments | $13,577,513 | 0.0% |
| Other additions and other | $229,061,122 | 0.4% |
| Total other | $2,193,681,737 | 4.0% |
| Total revenue | $54,636,513,023 | 100.0% |
Expenditures
| Instruction | $18,810,061,704 | 35.8% |
| Research | $18,266,242 | 0.0% |
| Public service | $642,484,334 | 1.2% |
| Academic support | $3,857,974,159 | 7.3% |
| Student services | $4,779,512,364 | 9.1% |
| Institutional support | $6,580,631,785 | 12.5% |
| Operation and maintenance of plant | $4,306,925,193 | 8.2% |
| Depreciation | $2,891,590,834 | 5.5% |
| Scholarships and fellowships | $5,744,588,842 | 10.9% |
| Auxiliary enterprises | $2,032,338,942 | 3.9% |
| Hospitals | $0 | 0.0% |
| Independent operations | $0 | 0.0% |
| Interest | $1,076,237,888 | 2.0% |
| Other expenditures | $1,763,725,967 | 3.4% |
| Total expenditures | $52,504,338,254 | 100.0% |
2-year private nonprofit institutions
| Tuition and fees | $718,851,557 | 78.0% |
| Federal appropriations, grants, and contracts | $65,970,106 | 7.2% |
| State appropriations, grants, and contracts | $10,055,299 | 1.1% |
| Local appropriations, grants, and contracts | $912,774 | 0.1% |
| Private gifts, grants, and contracts | $29,858,893 | 3.2% |
| Contributions from affiliated entities | $17,275,272 | 1.9% |
| Investment return | $9,019,109 | 1.0% |
| Educational activities | $7,465,851 | 0.8% |
| Auxiliary enterprises | $35,289,880 | 3.8% |
| Hospitals | $0 | 0.0% |
| Independent operations | $0 | 0.0% |
| Other revenue | $26,713,551 | 2.9% |
| Total revenue | $921,412,292 | 100.0% |
| Instruction | $306,134,040 | 34.3% |
| Research | $1,546,100 | 0.2% |
| Public service | $3,082,927 | 0.3% |
| Academic support | $97,106,839 | 10.9% |
| Student services | $203,710,388 | 22.8% |
| Institutional support | $195,245,743 | 21.9% |
| Auxiliary enterprises | $29,873,313 | 3.3% |
| Net grant aid to students | $4,613,197 | 0.5% |
| Hospitals | $0 | 0.0% |
| Independent operations | $0 | 0.0% |
| Other expenditures | $51,308,522 | 5.7% |
| Total expenditures | $892,621,069 | 100.0% |
2-year for-profit institutions
| Tuition and fees | $3,424,758,237 | 89.6% |
| Federal appropriations, grants, and contracts | $222,703,667 | 5.8% |
| State and local appropriations, grants, and contracts | $15,647,070 | 0.4% |
| Private grants and contracts | $1,460,635 | 0.0% |
| Investment return | $7,786,824 | 0.2% |
| Educational activities | $25,990,786 | 0.7% |
| Auxiliary enterprises | $63,430,098 | 1.7% |
| Other revenue | $59,818,272 | 1.6% |
| Total revenue | $3,821,595,589 | 100.0% |
| Instruction | $1,188,558,118 | 31.3% |
| Research and public service | $2,124,247 | 0.1% |
| Academic and institutional support, and student services | $1,988,015,207 | 52.4% |
| Auxiliary enterprises | $169,774,139 | 4.5% |
| Net grant aid to students | $2,435,381 | 0.1% |
| Other expenditures | $442,752,941 | 11.7% |
| Total expenditures | $3,793,660,033 | 100.0% |
Note: Data are based on degree-granting institutions in the United States that receive Title IV federal student aid and include the U.S. service academies. Because revenue and expenditure categories would not be comparable, the table excludes 11 four-year public institutions and two two-year public institutions that use a different accounting method from other public institutions. The 11 omitted four-year institutions, which include Pennsylvania State University at University Park, Temple University, and the University of Pittsburgh, together reported $3.5 billion in tuition and fees and $11.5 billion in total revenue for the 2015 fiscal year. Revenue and expenditures for two-year nonprofit colleges have increased significantly over the previous year because there were 106 colleges reporting revenue and expenditures for the 2015 fiscal year, up 18 from the 2014 fiscal year. Twelve of those additional institutions were Everest College campuses that changed their status from for-profit to nonprofit. The figures for tuition and fees, which exclude room and board, are net after discounts and allowances. Federal nonoperating grants include Pell Grants. Expenditures for instruction include wages and benefits to instructional employees. Student services include admissions, financial-aid administration, career guidance, and student activities. Educational activities include sales of goods and services incidental to instruction, like film rentals, scientific and literary publications, and testing services. Auxiliary enterprises include residence halls, food services, employee parking, student unions, and college stores. Percentages have been rounded.
Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data
