Base pay, bonuses, and benefits for 230 chief executives at the private colleges with the largest expenditures in 2022.
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Data here may vary from what appeared in print, due to updates and corrections received after publication.
N/A Not applicable
* Did not serve as chief executive for the full year.
These data show the total compensation received by chief executives in 2022 at the private colleges with the highest expenditures. The top 200 private colleges by expenditures were selected, with some exceptions. Excluded institutions included special-focus medical and research universities and universities that cite a religious exemption from filing the Form 990.
All individuals who served as chief executive during this period, including interim and acting leaders, are included. Oftentimes, more than one chief executive served at an institution during a given year. Presidents who served less than the full year are noted.
Compensation values for chief executives reflect the compensation earned from the institution (and associated foundations) across a full fiscal or calendar year, regardless of the role or roles held by those employees during the full year. Compensation data were compiled from the Internal Revenue Service’s Form 990, which is filed by most nonprofit entities, and are reported by calendar year.
Percentage-change values are for the total compensation compared with the prior year. If either value was $0 or the president was not on the list in the prior year, the change is listed as “N/A.” Values are based on the president’s calendar-year earning and may include compensation from multiple institutions in the prior year.
For presidents who weren’t required to complete Schedule J, pay is listed as “other” for all reportable compensation, and “nontaxable” for all nonreportable compensation.
Some Roman Catholic colleges whose presidents are members of religious orders pay no direct compensation to their chief executives, instead allocating money to the religious order. Compensation for those presidents may be reported as $0.
Base pay: base salary plus sick pay paid by the employer and employee contributions to a 401(k) or 403(b) plan.
Bonus pay: incentive pay and signing bonuses.
Nontaxable benefits: health and medical benefits, life insurance, housing provided by the employer, personal legal and financial services, dependent care, adoption assistance, tuition assistance, and cafeteria plans.
Other pay: miscellaneous pay and benefits, including severance payments, tax gross-ups (money an employer provides an employee for taxes paid on benefits), vacation leave cashed out, debt forgiveness, fellowships, employer-provided vehicles and parking, housing payments, travel, meals, moving expenses, entertainment, spending accounts, and club dues. Vested deferred compensation, meaning money set aside in previous years that was paid out to the employee in the current year, can also be included in other pay. May also include interest accrued on deferred compensation.
