A searchable database shows how individual colleges’ endowments fared in the fiscal year that ended in June. The figures below come from the National Association of College and University Business Officers and the Commonfund Institute. Read a related article about their annual study of college endowments.
Footnotes
i. Total includes endowment assets from the Texas A&M University System and multiple supporting foundations, including the Texas A&M Foundation. The full 2015 Nacubo-Commonfund Study of Endowments report incorporates separate information for the Texas A&M University System, the Texas A&M Foundation, and the Baylor Oral Health Foundation (which provides financial support to the Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry).
ii. Total includes endowment assets from the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Foundation. The full 2015 NCSE report incorporates separate information for each of these individual institutions.
iii. Total includes endowment assets from the University of Illinois and the University of Illinois Foundation. The full 2015 NCSE report incorporates separate information for each of these individual institutions.
iv. Total includes the combined endowment assets of Carnegie Mellon University and a portion of assets held by the Dietrich Foundation reflecting CMU’s allocation as a named supported organization. The full 2015 NCSE report reflects information for the CMU endowment only.
v. Total endowment includes data from all institutions in the Louisiana State University System. However, the full 2015 NCSE report is based on data solely from the LSU Foundation, the largest segment.
vi. Total includes endowment assets from the University System of New Hampshire and the University of New Hampshire Foundation. The full 2015 NCSE report incorporates separate information for each of these individual institutions.
vii. Total includes endowment assets from the Oregon Health and Science University Foundation and the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation.
viii. University fiscal year’s end is May 31, but endowment values are reported for June 30.
ix. 2015 amounts are as of May 31, 2015.
x. University fiscal year’s end is May 31, but endowment values are reported for June 30.
xi. Total includes endowment assets from the University, the Educational Foundation, the Athletic Foundation, and the Real Estate Foundation.
xii. University fiscal year’s end is May 31, but endowment values are reported for June 30.
xiii. Endowment for Coastal Carolina University.
About These Data
For most institutions, the endowment values listed in this table are based on the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015 (for FY2015) and June 30, 2014 (for FY2014).
“N/A” means “not available.”
The change in market values listed for the participating institutions does not represent the investment rate of return for the endowments’ investments. Rather, the change in the market value of an endowment from FY2014 to FY2015 reflects the net impact of withdrawals to fund institutional operations and capital expenses, the payment of endowment management and investment fees, additions from donor gifts and other contributions, and investment gains or losses.
The market values also include the estimated valuations of real estate and other “illiquid” assets, which may have large increases or decreases in value during a relatively short period of time. In addition, transfers to the endowment from other institutional budget accounts, and changes in foreign-currency exchange rates for non-U.S. investments, may account for large changes in endowment market values.
Those factors suggest that any large increases or decreases in endowments over the past year may be exaggerated. As such, large percentage changes should be interpreted very cautiously.
This table was prepared in January 2016. Changes in endowment values reported after January are not incorporated in the full 2015 NCSE report.