This article ranks the 25 largest college and university endowments in the United States and provides each institution’s academic ranking.
Nineteen of the twenty-five largest college and university endowments belong to private universities, seven of which are Ivy League schools.
Among public universities and university systems, the University of Texas, University of Michigan, University of California, Texas A&M University, University of Virginia, and University of Minnesota manage the largest endowments.
The University of Notre Dame is the only religiously affiliated institution to maintain one of the twenty-five largest endowments.
1. Largest College and University Endowments
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
$25.66 billion
Academic Ranking: (4-National)
2. Largest College and University Endowments
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
$16.33 billion
Academic Ranking: (2-National)
3. Largest College and University Endowments
Stanford University
Stanford, California
$12.62 billion
Academic Ranking: (11-National)
4. Largest College and University Endowments
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
$12.61 billion
Academic Ranking: (3-National)
5. Largest College and University Endowments
University of Texas (systemwide)
$12.16 billion
Academic Ranking: University of Texas-Austin (7-Texas)
6. Largest College and University Endowments
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Cambridge, Massachusetts
$7.98 billion
Academic Ranking: (8-National)
7. Largest College and University Endowments
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
$6 billion
Academic Ranking: (5-Public)
8. Largest College and University Endowments
Columbia University
New York, New York
$5.89 billion
Academic Ranking: (7-National)
9. Largest College and University Endowments
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
$5.45 billion
Academic Ranking: (11-National)
10. Largest College and University Endowments
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$5.17 billion
Academic Ranking: (11-National)
11. Largest College and University Endowments
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
$5.09 billion
Academic Ranking: (6-National)
12. Largest College and University Endowments
Texas A&M (systemwide)
$5.08 billion
Academic Ranking: Main Campus (10-Texas)
13. Largest College and University Endowments
University of California (systemwide)
$4.94 billion
Academic Ranking: UC-Berkeley (3-Public); UCLA (10-Public); UCSD (16-Public)
14. Largest College and University Endowments
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
$4.8 billion
Academic Ranking: (15-National)
15. Largest College and University Endowments
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
$4.44 billion
Academic Ranking: (12-National)
16. Largest College and University Endowments
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
$4.33 billion
Academic Ranking: (17-National)
17. Largest College and University Endowments
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
$4.08 billion
Academic Ranking: (8-National)
18. Largest College and University Endowments
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
$3.97 billion
Academic Ranking: (4-New York)
19. Largest College and University Endowments
Rice University
Houston, Texas
$3.61 billion
Academic Ranking: (15-National)
20. Largest College and University Endowments
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
$3.58 billion
Academic Ranking: (2-Public)
21. Largest College and University Endowments
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
$2.83 billion
Academic Ranking: (14-National)
22. Largest College and University Endowments
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
$2.82 billion
Academic Ranking: (10-National)
23. Largest College and University Endowments
University of Southern California (USC)
Los Angeles, California
$2.67 billion
Academic Ranking: (6-California)
24. Largest College and University Endowments
New York University (NYU)
New York, New York
$2.09 billion
Academic Ranking: (8-New York)
25. Largest College and University Endowments
University of Minnesota (systemwide)
$2.07 billion
Academic Ranking: Twin Cities Campus (19-Public)
Source: “2009 NACUBO-COMMONFUND STUDY OF ENDOWMENT RESULTS,” National Association of College and University Business Officers (Updated April 8, 2010)
