Donors & endowments
NIL & revenue sharing · Coach pay & buyouts · Media rights & conference revenue · Deficits, subsidies & debt · Donors & endowments · Sources
Alumni and booster money
Summary. Donations are the second-biggest revenue line for FBS public schools ($2.75B in FY2025 [S48]) and are concentrated at the top. Texas A&M booked $115.4M in FY2023 [S64] and Ohio State a record $68.3M in FY2025 [S51]. Mega-donors have shaped programs. T. Boone Pickens gave a then-record $165M to Oklahoma State in 2006 [S59]. Phil Knight is famous for backing Oregon athletics, but most of his $2.2B+ to the University of Oregon went to science and academics [S61][S62]. Collective money went directly to players and mostly bypassed athletic departments [S63][S68].
| Donor / program | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| T. Boone Pickens to Oklahoma State athletics | $165M (then the largest single gift to an NCAA athletic program; beat Engelstad's $100M to North Dakota in 1998) | 2006 | [S59] |
| Pickens earlier pledge | $70M (incl. $20M for the stadium) | 2003 | [S59] |
| T. Boone Pickens Foundation to OSU | $120M (scholarships, research, athletic facilities) | 2023 | [S60] |
| Phil & Penny Knight to Univ. of Oregon (all purposes) | >=$2.2B (Chronicle tally) | through Aug 2025 | [S61] |
| Knights' new UO pledge (engineering, not athletics) | $1B | Sept 23 2026 | [S62] |
| Knight's athletics-only total | UNAVAILABLE / UNVERIFIED. A widely repeated "$482M to athletics since 2016" traces to a Portland Business Journal article I couldn't access | ||
| FY2023 donation leaders (Sportico data via 247Sports) | Texas A&M $115.4M; Texas $86.0M; Clemson $84.3M; Georgia $75.9M; Tennessee $62.3M; Nebraska $61.0M; Oklahoma $60.7M; LSU $58.9M; Ohio State $57.8M; Florida State $54.2M; ~90% went to football | FY2023 | [S64] |
| Texas A&M | $88.6M ($41.2M earmarked for football) | FY2024 | [S65] |
| Ohio State | $68,284,273 (record; FY24 $52.5M) | FY2025 | [S51] |
| Median FBS public donations | +13% despite collectives; donations were 24% of P5 revenue (2021-22) | FY2023 | [S63] |
| Total US higher-ed giving (all purposes) | $78.8B | FY2025 | CASE [S66] |
| CASE/VSE athletics-only total | UNAVAILABLE: not in CASE's free key findings (paid report) | ||
| Seat-license / priority-seating donation totals by school | UNAVAILABLE as a clean national dataset. These payments are reported inside "donor contributions" on NCAA financial reports. Georgia's AD described steering donors to seating points first, then to the collective [S63] |
Endowments vs. athletics
Summary. University endowments and athletic budgets are mostly separate pools. Endowment payouts go mainly to financial aid (47.4%) and academics. NACUBO does not break out athletics [S69]. Endowment money does reach athletics indirectly. Unrestricted endowment and investment income can flow into "institutional support," which GAO says helps cover deficits [S45]. Athletics-restricted endowment income is counted in "other revenue" on NCAA reports [S48]. California regents' filings show about 20% of UCLA's and about 30% of Cal's athletic budgets came from endowment or general funds in 2024-25 [S25].
The richest endowments do not line up with the biggest athletic budgets. Notre Dame ($20.09B), Stanford ($40.79B), Northwestern ($15.17B), Duke ($12.32B) and Vanderbilt ($10.86B) are private schools that don't publish comparable NCAA reports. Texas and Ohio State lead in athletic spending with smaller campus endowments: UT Austin $6.49B and Ohio State $8.62B [S70].
| Institution (Power-conference or ND) | FY2025 endowment | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford | $40.79B | [S70] |
| University of Texas System (all campuses) | $27.17B | [S70] |
| Texas A&M System & related foundations | $22.23B | [S70] |
| Michigan | $21.20B | [S70] |
| Notre Dame | $20.09B | [S70] |
| Northwestern | $15.17B | [S70] |
| Duke | $12.32B | [S70] |
| Virginia | $11.23B | [S70] |
| Vanderbilt | $10.86B | [S70] |
| USC | $9.03B | [S70] |
| Ohio State | $8.62B | [S70] |
| UT Austin (campus only) | $6.49B | [S70] |
| UNC $6.22B; Pitt $6.15B; Penn State $5.06B; Wisconsin Foundation $4.92B | FY2025 | [S70] |
| National context: 657 institutions, $944.3B total; $33.4B withdrawn; endowments fund 15.2% of operating budgets (10.9% in FY23) | FY2025 | NACUBO [S69] |
Caveat: the school-level figures come from Wikipedia's compilation of NACUBO-Commonfund FY2025 data. NACUBO's own institution list is an Excel file I could not retrieve. Verify against NACUBO before publishing. System-level figures (UT, TAMU) include multiple campuses.
Does endowment money fund athletics? Only indirectly, and it can't be measured nationally. No dataset separates endowment dollars within athletic subsidies. UNAVAILABLE as a quantified national figure.
Power 4 schools: endowment and annual giving
From the conference research dataset: NACUBO-Commonfund FY2025 unless noted. Giving = each school’s own reported total; measures differ and are not strictly comparable. Scopes mix system, foundation and institution figures.
| School | Conf. | Endowment | FY | Endowment scope | Src | Annual giving | FY | Giving measure | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | ACC | $40.79B | FY2025 | Stanford University | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (fundraising total) | source |
| Texas A&M University | SEC | $22.23B | FY2025 | Texas A&M University SYSTEM & related foundations (combined) | source | $412.0M | FY2025 | gifts and commitments to Texas A&M Foundation (record) | source |
| University of Michigan | Big Ten | $21.20B | FY2025 | University of Michigan | source | $886.0M | FY2025 | gifts, pledges and planned gifts (2nd-best year) | source |
| Northwestern University | Big Ten | $15.17B | FY2025 | Northwestern University | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (new gifts & commitments total not stated) | source |
| Duke University | ACC | $12.32B | FY2025 | Duke University | source | $605.0M | FY2025 | philanthropic cash received (excl. future pledges) | source |
| University of Virginia | ACC | $11.23B | FY2025 | University of Virginia | source | $886.0M | FY2025 | philanthropic commitments (record; +43%) | source |
| Vanderbilt University | SEC | $10.86B | FY2025 | Vanderbilt University | source | $345.0M | FY2025 | new commitments (record) | source |
| University of Southern California | Big Ten | $9.03B | FY2025 | University of Southern California | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (fundraising total) | source |
| Ohio State University | Big Ten | $8.62B | FY2025 | The Ohio State University | source | $825.4M | FY2025 | new fundraising activity: gifts, pledges, planned gifts, private grants (record); $628.3M cash receipts | source |
| University of Texas at Austin | SEC | $6.49B | FY2025 | UT Austin (institution-level; UT System reports each institution separately) | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (university-wide total) | source |
| University of Minnesota Twin Cities | Big Ten | $6.45B | FY2025 | University of Minnesota (system) & Foundation (combined) | source | $464.0M | FY2025 | raised by UMN Foundation (gifts, pledges, future commitments; system-wide; record) | source |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | ACC | $6.22B | FY2025 | UNC-Chapel Hill | source | $471.2M | FY2025 | gifts and commitments | source |
| University of Pittsburgh | ACC | $6.15B | FY2025 | University of Pittsburgh | source | $200.0M | FY2025 | new gifts and commitments ("more than $200 million"; lower bound) | source |
| University of Washington | Big Ten | $6.00B | FY2025 (June 30, 2025) | UW Consolidated Endowment Fund (CEF) | source | $863.2M | FY2025 | private support from 174,484 donors | source |
| Pennsylvania State University | Big Ten | $5.06B | FY2025 | Pennsylvania State University (all campuses) | source | $563.5M | FY2025 | total fundraising commitments (record); $369.5M cash/outright | source |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Big Ten | $4.92B | FY2025 | University of Wisconsin Foundation (WFAA) | source | $414.4M | FY2025 | donor commitments to UW-Madison (WFAA) | source |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Big Ten | $4.77B | FY2025 | UCLA Foundation (foundation-held only) | source | $775.4M | FY2025 | new gifts and pledges; $639.1M cash (CAE convention) | source |
| Michigan State University | Big Ten | $4.61B | FY2025 | Michigan State University | source | $380.1M | FY2025 | total raised (then-record; 65,506 donors) | source |
| Purdue University | Big Ten | $4.44B | FY2025 | Purdue University (combined endowment/foundation) | source | $536.8M | FY2025 | raised from 86,004 donors (per Purdue Research Foundation FY24-25 annual report) | source |
| Boston College | ACC | $4.24B | FY2025 | Boston College | source | $387.0M | FY2025 (FYE May 31) | outside contributions and grants (per BC financial filings as reported by The Heights) | source |
| Indiana University Bloomington | Big Ten | $4.05B | FY2025 | Indiana University Foundation (all IU campuses) | source | $544.5M | FY2025 | total private support (IU Foundation, all IU campuses) | source |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Big Ten | $3.80B | FY2025 | University of Illinois (system) & Foundations (combined) | source | $656.0M | FY2025 | new business, University of Illinois Foundation (SYSTEM: all 3 campuses; record) | source |
| University of Iowa | Big Ten | $3.77B | FY2025 | University of Iowa and Foundations (combined) | source | $336.6M | most recent FY per 2026 article (FY2025 or FY2026 - not stated) | amount raised by UI Center for Advancement | source |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | ACC | $3.51B | FY2025 | Georgia Tech and Related Foundations (combined) | source | $300.0M | FY2025 | philanthropic support ("nearly $300 million"; record at the time) | source |
| University of California, Berkeley | ACC | $3.39B | FY2025 | UC Berkeley Foundation (foundation-held only) | source | $720.1M | FY2025 | cash gifts and pledge payments (CAE cash convention); accrual $705.0M | source |
| Texas Tech University | Big 12 | $3.07B | FY2025 | Texas Tech University (as listed by NACUBO) | source | $236.0M | FY2025 | total raised (record) | source |
| Texas Christian University | Big 12 | $2.85B | FY2025 | Texas Christian University | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (fundraising total) | source |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Big Ten | $2.72B | FY2025 | University of Nebraska (listed at Lincoln; system-wide) | source | $416.6M | FY2025 | new funds committed, NU Foundation (SYSTEM-wide; record) | source |
| University of Florida | SEC | $2.69B | FY2025 | University of Florida Foundation Inc. (foundation only) | source | $560.0M | FY2025 | new gifts and commitments (UF Foundation) | source |
| University of Kansas | Big 12 | $2.69B | FY2025 | KU Endowment Association (incl. KU Medical Center) | source | $353.6M | FY2025 | contributed to KU Endowment (KU incl. KU Medical Center and KU Health System) | source |
| University of Alabama | SEC | $2.59B | FY2025 | Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa entry in NACUBO) | source | $261.0M | FY2024 | total gifts (latest found; FY2025 total not found) | source |
| University of Missouri | SEC | $2.55B | FY2025 | University of Missouri System (4 campuses) | source | $269.0M | FY2025 | philanthropic gifts (record; incl. >$140M to athletics) | source |
| North Carolina State University | ACC | $2.54B | FY2025 | NC State (combined endowment/foundation) | source | $366.8M | FY2025 | new gifts and commitments (record) | source |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Big 12 | $2.47B | FY2025 | University of Colorado Foundation (all CU campuses) | source | $228.9M | FY2025 | raised by CU Boulder (then-record) | source |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | Big Ten | $2.35B | FY2025 | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (all campuses) | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (fundraising total) | source |
| Southern Methodist University | ACC | $2.34B | FY2025 | Southern Methodist University | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (annual total) | source |
| Syracuse University | ACC | $2.27B | FY2025 | Syracuse University | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (annual total) | source |
| University of Georgia | SEC | $2.18B | FY2025 | UGA and related foundations (combined) | source | $300.4M | FY2025 | private support (record; first time >$300M) | source |
| Baylor University | Big 12 | $2.18B | FY2025 | Baylor University | source | $192.4M | FY2025 (June 2024-May 2025) | total raised (2nd-largest year) | source |
| University of Kentucky | SEC | $2.17B | FY2025 | University of Kentucky | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (fundraising total) | source |
| Wake Forest University | ACC | $2.15B | FY2025 | Wake Forest University | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (university-wide total) | source |
| University of Oklahoma | SEC | $2.10B | FY2025 (June 30, 2025) | Endowments held by OU Foundation that benefit OU (approx.) | source | $352.0M | FY2025 | total gifts (record; incl. $113M athletics) | source |
| Virginia Tech | ACC | $2.09B | FY2025 | Virginia Tech Foundation | source | $241.6M | FY2025 | new gifts and commitments (2nd-highest) | source |
| University of Utah | Big 12 | $2.07B | FY2025 | The University of Utah | source | $518.5M | FY2025 | total fundraising (+53%) | source |
| Iowa State University | Big 12 | $1.91B | FY2025 | Iowa State University (combined endowment/foundation) | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (verified source) | source |
| University of Oregon | Big Ten | $1.84B | FY2025 | University of Oregon Foundation | source | $283.0M | FY2025 | total funds raised 2024-25 (per UO financial statements; $282.8M in admin summary) | source |
| University of Arkansas | SEC | $1.81B | FY2025 | Univ. of Arkansas at Fayetteville and Foundation (combined) | source | $254.7M | FY2025 | gifts (cash, in-kind, planned) + new pledges | source |
| University of Cincinnati | Big 12 | $1.77B | FY2025 | University of Cincinnati | source | $228.5M | FY2025 | raised for UC and UC Health (record) | source |
| Arizona State University | Big 12 | $1.76B | FY2025 | Arizona State University (foundation, IRF) | source | $630.8M | FY2025 | new gifts and commitments, ASU Foundation (record) | source |
| University of Miami | ACC | $1.71B | FY2025 (May 31, 2025) | University of Miami | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (annual total) | source |
| Oklahoma State University | Big 12 | $1.56B | FY2025 | Oklahoma State University Foundation | source | $217.7M | FY2025 | gifts and commitments (OSU Foundation; 2nd-best year); $189.5M cash (VSE) | source |
| University of Arizona | Big 12 | $1.50B | FY2025 | Univ. of Arizona and UA Foundation (combined) | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (annual total) | source |
| Auburn University | SEC | $1.31B | FY2025 | Auburn University and Foundation (combined) | source | $237.0M | FY2025 | contributions ("more than $237 million", 56,513 gifts) | source |
| University of Houston | Big 12 | $1.27B | FY2025 (Aug 31, 2025) | University of Houston SYSTEM Endowment Fund | source | not available | FY2025 | not found | |
| Clemson University | ACC | $1.24B | FY2025 | Clemson University Foundation | source | $230.5M | FY2025 | philanthropic support (5th straight year >$200M) | source |
| University of Maryland, College Park | Big Ten | $1.24B | FY2025 (June 30, 2025) | Endowment supporting UMD College Park ("surpassed $1.24B") | source | $302.0M | FY2026 | total annual fundraising (record) | source |
| Louisiana State University | SEC | $1.24B | FY2025 | LSU System (all LSU System institutions) | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (fundraising total) | source |
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville | SEC | $1.18B | FY2025 (June 30, 2025) | UT Knoxville campus endowment (UT Foundation) | source | $428.0M | FY2025 | philanthropic support to UT Knoxville (record) | source |
| University of South Carolina | SEC | $1.15B | FY2025 | University of South Carolina and Affiliated Foundations | source | $259.7M | FY2025 | private support (record) | source |
| Florida State University | ACC | $1.11B | FY2025 | Florida State University Foundation | source | $235.4M | FY2026 | total raised (record) | source |
| University of Louisville | ACC | $1.07B | FY2025 | University of Louisville Foundation | source | not available | FY2025 | not found (fundraising total) | source |
| University of Mississippi | SEC | $1.00B | FY2025 | University of Mississippi Foundation | source | $215.6M | FY2025 | private support (record; incl. UMMC and athletics) | source |
| Mississippi State University | SEC | $1.00B | FY2025 | Mississippi State University & Foundation | source | $260.2M | FY2025 | private giving: outright, pledged and deferred (record) | source |
| Kansas State University | Big 12 | $902.20M | FY2025 | Kansas State University Foundation | source | $296.8M | FY2025 | private gifts and commitments (KSU Foundation) | source |
| West Virginia University | Big 12 | $889.02M | FY2025 | West Virginia University Foundation | source | $260.7M | FY2025 | new gifts and pledges (WVU Foundation) | source |
| University of Central Florida | Big 12 | $266.68M | FY2025 | UCF Foundation Inc. | source | $126.1M | FY2025 | philanthropic commitments (record) | source |
| Brigham Young University | Big 12 | — | not found | not available | not found |
National endowment lists, FY2025 (Wikipedia compilation of NACUBO data)
Secondary compilation (S70); verify against NACUBO before relying on a single figure. Includes non-football institutions.
Public institutions
| Rank | Institution | State | FY2025 endowment (billions USD) | FY2024 endowment (billions USD) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | The University of Texas System | TX | $27.17 | $24.74 | +9.81% |
| 2.0 | The Texas A&M University System & Related Foundations | TX | $22.23 | $20.38 | +9.07% |
| 3.0 | University of Michigan | MI | $21.20 | $19.17 | +10.61% |
| 4.0 | The Regents of the University of California | CA | $20.15 | $19.10 | +5.46% |
| 5.0 | University of Virginia | VA | $11.23 | $10.22 | +9.91% |
| 6.0 | The Ohio State University | OH | $8.62 | $7.93 | +8.68% |
| 7.0 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $6.49 | $6.08 | +6.76% |
| 8.0 | University of Minnesota & Foundations | MN | $6.45 | $5.94 | +8.65% |
| 9.0 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | $6.22 | $5.73 | +8.62% |
| 10.0 | University of Pittsburgh | PA | $6.15 | $5.80 | +6.02% |
| 11.0 | The Pennsylvania State University | PA | $5.06 | $4.77 | +6.14% |
| 12.0 | University of Wisconsin Foundation | WI | $4.92 | $4.30 | +14.31% |
| 13.0 | UCLA Foundation | CA | $4.77 | $4.30 | +10.89% |
| 14.0 | Michigan State University | MI | $4.61 | $4.42 | +4.23% |
| 15.0 | Purdue University | IN | $4.44 | $4.11 | +8.07% |
| 16.0 | Indiana University Foundation | IN | $4.05 | $3.82 | +6.08% |
| 17.0 | University of Illinois & Foundations | IL | $3.80 | $3.69 | +2.96% |
| 18.0 | University of Iowa and Foundations | IA | $3.77 | $3.50 | +7.76% |
| 19.0 | Georgia Institute of Technology and Related Foundations | GA | $3.51 | $3.17 | +10.75% |
| 20.0 | University of California Berkeley Foundation | CA | $3.39 | $3.11 | +9.06% |
| 21.0 | University of California San Francisco | CA | $3.29 | $2.95 | +11.63% |
| 22.0 | Virginia Commonwealth University and Affiliated Entities | VA | $3.23 | $2.89 | +11.88% |
| 23.0 | Texas Tech University | TX | $3.07 | $2.90 | +5.72% |
| 24.0 | University of Nebraska | NE | $2.72 | $2.53 | +7.48% |
| 25.0 | University of Florida Foundation Inc. | FL | $2.69 | $2.45 | +9.56% |
| 26.0 | The Kansas University Endowment Association | KS | $2.69 | $2.53 | +6.41% |
| 27.0 | The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama | AL | $2.59 | $2.38 | +8.79% |
| 28.0 | University of Missouri System | MO | $2.55 | $2.41 | +5.81% |
| 29.0 | North Carolina State University | NC | $2.54 | $2.22 | +14.49% |
| 30.0 | The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | TX | $2.47 | $2.32 | +6.52% |
| 31.0 | University of Colorado Foundation | CO | $2.47 | $2.25 | +10.08% |
| 32.0 | The University System of Maryland Foundation | MD | $2.46 | $2.29 | +7.37% |
| 33.0 | Rutgers The State University of New Jersey | NJ | $2.35 | $2.18 | +7.83% |
| 34.0 | The University of Georgia and Related Foundations | GA | $2.18 | $2.06 | +6.19% |
| 35.0 | University of Kentucky | KY | $2.17 | $1.98 | +9.80% |
| 36.0 | Texas State University System | TX | $2.11 | $1.41 | +50.25% |
| 37.0 | Virginia Tech Foundation | VA | $2.09 | $1.95 | +7.12% |
| 38.0 | The University of Utah | UT | $2.07 | $1.86 | +11.35% |
| 39.0 | University of Delaware | DE | $2.06 | $1.93 | +6.56% |
| 40.0 | The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center | TX | $1.96 | $1.85 | +6.17% |
| 41.0 | The University of Tennessee System | TN | $1.92 | $1.77 | +8.44% |
| 42.0 | Iowa State University | IA | $1.91 | $1.72 | +11.48% |
| 43.0 | University of Oregon Foundation | OR | $1.84 | $1.65 | +11.67% |
| 44.0 | University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and Foundation | AR | $1.81 | $1.67 | +8.95% |
| 45.0 | University of Massachusetts Foundation | MA | $1.80 | $1.55 | +16.44% |
| 46.0 | University of California San Diego | CA | $1.79 | $1.59 | +12.81% |
| 47.0 | University of Cincinnati | OH | $1.77 | $1.45 | +22.30% |
| 48.0 | Arizona State University | AZ | $1.76 | $1.59 | +10.41% |
| 49.0 | William & Mary and Foundations | VA | $1.59 | $1.45 | +9.65% |
| 50.0 | Oklahoma State University Foundation | OK | $1.56 | $1.48 | +5.60% |
| 51.0 | The University of Arizona and the University of Arizona Foundation | AZ | $1.50 | $1.39 | +8.17% |
| 52.0 | Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education | OK | $1.31 | $1.21 | +7.71% |
| 53.0 | Auburn University and Foundation | AL | $1.31 | $1.19 | +10.01% |
| 54.0 | Oregon Health and Science University Foundation | OR | $1.30 | $1.25 | +3.92% |
| 55.0 | Clemson University Foundation | SC | $1.24 | $1.12 | +10.33% |
| 56.0 | Louisiana State University System | LA | $1.24 | $1.14 | +8.76% |
| 57.0 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | TX | $1.21 | $1.13 | +6.87% |
| 58.0 | University at Buffalo Foundation Inc. | NY | $1.17 | $1.06 | +10.66% |
| 59.0 | University of South Carolina and Affiliated Foundations | SC | $1.15 | $1.04 | +9.65% |
| 60.0 | Florida State University Foundation Inc. | FL | $1.11 | $1.03 | +7.82% |
| 61.0 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | TX | $1.10 | $1.01 | +8.84% |
| 62.0 | Miami University | OH | $1.09 | $0.81 | +33.96% |
| 63.0 | University of Louisville Foundation | KY | $1.07 | $1.01 | +6.52% |
| 64.0 | University System of New Hampshire & University of New Hampshire Foundation | NH | $1.06 | $0.98 | +8.30% |
| 65.0 | Temple University | PA | $1.05 | $0.93 | +13.03% |
| 66.0 | University of California Irvine Foundation | CA | $1.03 | $0.90 | +14.30% |
| 67.0 | Oregon State University Foundation | OR | $1.01 | $0.90 | +12.88% |
| 68.0 | University of Mississippi Foundation | MS | $1.00 | $0.92 | +8.20% |
| 69.0 | Mississippi State University & Foundation | MS | $1.00 | $0.89 | +11.77% |
Private institutions
| Rank | Institution | State | FY2025 endowment (billions USD) | FY2024 endowment (billions USD) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | MA | $55.67 | $51.98 | +7.11% |
| 2 | Yale University | CT | $44.15 | $41.44 | +6.53% |
| 3 | Stanford University | CA | $40.79 | $37.63 | +8.38% |
| 4 | The Trustees of Princeton University | NJ | $36.42 | $34.05 | +6.94% |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | $27.37 | $24.57 | +11.37% |
| 6 | The University of Pennsylvania | PA | $24.81 | $22.35 | +11.01% |
| 7 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $20.09 | $17.90 | +12.26% |
| 8 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $15.92 | $14.78 | +7.68% |
| 9 | Northwestern University | IL | $15.17 | $14.21 | +6.74% |
| 10 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $13.73 | $13.06 | +5.14% |
| 11 | Washington University in St. Louis | MO | $13.30 | $11.98 | +11.00% |
| 12 | Duke University | NC | $12.32 | $11.89 | +3.60% |
| 13 | Emory University | GA | $12.00 | $11.04 | +8.66% |
| 14 | Cornell University | NY | $11.75 | $10.66 | +10.23% |
| 15 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $10.86 | $10.25 | +5.95% |
| 16 | University of Chicago | IL | $10.62 | $10.10 | +5.11% |
| 17 | University of Southern California | CA | $9.03 | $8.15 | +10.84% |
| 18 | Dartmouth College | NH | $8.96 | $8.27 | +8.30% |
| 19 | Rice University | TX | $8.50 | $8.06 | +5.37% |
| 20 | Brown University | RI | $7.28 | $6.72 | +8.33% |
| 21 | New York University | NY | $7.28 | $6.55 | +11.15% |
| 22 | California Institute of Technology | CA | $4.32 | $4.14 | +4.16% |
| 23 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $4.29 | $4.00 | +7.26% |
| 24 | Boston College | MA | $4.24 | $3.78 | +12.13% |
| 25 | Boston University | MA | $4.02 | $3.54 | +13.56% |
| 26 | Georgetown University | DC | $3.95 | $3.64 | +8.60% |
| 27 | Williams College | MA | $3.93 | $3.66 | +7.54% |
| 28 | Amherst College | MA | $3.90 | $3.55 | +9.83% |
| 29 | University of Richmond | VA | $3.49 | $3.25 | +7.67% |
| 30 | University of Rochester | NY | $3.24 | $2.99 | +8.52% |
| 31 | Pomona College | CA | $3.22 | $2.99 | +7.65% |
| 32 | Wellesley College | MA | $3.19 | $3.01 | +6.00% |
| 33 | Bowdoin College | ME | $2.92 | $2.58 | +12.90% |
| 34 | Texas Christian University | TX | $2.85 | $2.68 | +6.65% |
| 35 | Grinnell College | IA | $2.85 | $2.67 | +6.61% |
| 36 | Swarthmore College | PA | $2.84 | $2.73 | +4.19% |
| 37 | The George Washington University | DC | $2.81 | $2.64 | +6.55% |
| 38 | Smith College | MA | $2.71 | $2.56 | +5.67% |
| 39 | Tufts University | MA | $2.71 | $2.53 | +6.84% |
| 40 | The Rockefeller University | NY | $2.61 | $2.42 | +7.76% |
| 41 | Case Western Reserve University | OH | $2.52 | $2.40 | +5.15% |
| 42 | Tulane University | LA | $2.47 | $2.27 | +8.52% |
| 43 | Southern Methodist University | TX | $2.34 | $2.12 | +10.25% |
| 44 | Syracuse University | NY | $2.27 | $2.10 | +8.25% |
| 45 | Washington and Lee University | VA | $2.19 | $2.04 | +7.29% |
| 46 | Baylor University | TX | $2.18 | $2.09 | +4.10% |
| 47 | Wake Forest University | NC | $2.15 | $2.00 | +7.63% |
| 48 | Saint Louis University | MO | $2.02 | $1.88 | +7.40% |
| 49 | Lehigh University | PA | $2.00 | $1.87 | +6.93% |
| 50 | Trinity University | TX | $1.94 | $1.83 | +5.73% |
| 51 | Medical College of Wisconsin | WI | $1.94 | $1.80 | +7.73% |
| 52 | Berea College | KY | $1.83 | $1.65 | +11.05% |
| 53 | Middlebury College | VT | $1.73 | $1.60 | +8.25% |
| 54 | University of Miami | FL | $1.71 | $1.59 | +7.73% |
| 55 | Santa Clara University | CA | $1.67 | $1.56 | +7.29% |
| 56 | Wesleyan University | CT | $1.64 | $1.58 | +3.66% |
| 57 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | IL | $1.60 | $1.50 | +6.42% |
| 58 | Princeton Theological Seminary | NJ | $1.56 | $1.45 | +7.54% |
| 59 | Hamilton College | NY | $1.50 | $1.36 | +9.89% |
| 60 | Oberlin College | OH | $1.48 | $1.27 | +16.56% |
| 61 | Villanova University | PA | $1.47 | $1.34 | +10.24% |
| 62 | Berry College | GA | $1.47 | $1.37 | +7.17% |
| 63 | Rochester Institute of Technology | NY | $1.46 | $1.37 | +6.57% |
| 64 | Davidson College | NC | $1.46 | $1.37 | +6.23% |
| 65 | Loma Linda University | CA | $1.44 | $1.35 | +7.12% |
| 66 | Baylor College of Medicine | TX | $1.43 | $1.48 | -3.68% |
| 67 | Vassar College | NY | $1.39 | $1.30 | +7.13% |
| 68 | Loyola University of Chicago | IL | $1.37 | $1.06 | +11.03% |
| 69 | Brandeis University | MA | $1.36 | $1.26 | +7.30% |
| 70 | Claremont McKenna College | CA | $1.35 | $1.24 | +9.16% |
| 71 | Colgate University | NY | $1.34 | $1.25 | +7.18% |
| 72 | Bryn Mawr College | PA | $1.34 | $1.21 | +10.99% |
| 73 | University of Tulsa | OK | $1.34 | $1.28 | +3.95% |
| 74 | Carleton College | MN | $1.33 | $1.24 | +7.85% |
| 75 | Pepperdine University | CA | $1.29 | $1.30 | -0.20% |
| 76 | Bucknell University | PA | $1.26 | $1.17 | +8.23% |
| 77 | Colby College | ME | $1.25 | $1.16 | +7.94% |
| 78 | College of the Holy Cross | MA | $1.21 | $1.11 | +8.87% |
| 79 | Lafayette College | PA | $1.20 | $1.12 | +6.75% |
| 80 | Mount Holyoke College | MA | $1.18 | $1.10 | +7.15% |
| 81 | DePaul University | IL | $1.15 | $1.02 | +13.12% |
| 82 | University of Denver | CO | $1.15 | $1.09 | +5.86% |
| 83 | Drexel University | PA | $1.13 | $1.07 | +5.86% |
| 84 | Marquette University | WI | $1.13 | $1.00 | +13.48% |
| 85 | American University | DC | $1.12 | $1.05 | +6.90% |
| 86 | Howard University | DC | $1.12 | $1.03 | +8.47% |
| 87 | Denison University | OH | $1.10 | $1.04 | +6.26% |
| 88 | Colorado College | CO | $1.06 | $0.99 | +7.21% |
| 89 | Fordham University | NY | $1.05 | $1.02 | +2.85% |
Sources cited on this page
- S25 · CalMatters via KPBS, “How much are California's public universities paying athletes? CalMatters is suing to find out” (2026-08-25)
- S45 · U.S. Government Accountability Office, “College Athletics: Most Programs Spend More Than They Generate in Revenue (GAO-26-108640)” (2026 (released early Aug 2026))
- S48 · Knight Commission / Syracuse Newhouse, “Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database: FBS page (data in raw/)” (accessed 2026-09-29 (FY2025 data))
- S51 · Ohio State News, “Ohio State athletics sets record with $336M in FY25 revenue” (2026-01)
- S59 · ESPN / AP, “Pickens sets record with $165M Oklahoma State gift” (2006-01-10)
- S60 · Oklahoma State Athletics, “Oklahoma State University receives a $120 million gift from T. Boone Pickens Foundation” (2023-06-20)
- S61 · Chronicle of Philanthropy, “And $2 Billion More - Phil and Penny Knight Strike Again With Mega-Gift” (2025-08-15)
- S62 · OPB, “Knights pledge $1 billion to University of Oregon to create engineering college” (2026-09-23)
- S63 · Sportico, “Athletic Department Donations Up Despite Rise of NIL Collectives” (2024-01-23)
- S64 · 247Sports (Grant Hughes), “College athletics' 25 fat cats who received largest 2023 donations” (2024)
- S65 · KBTX, “Texas A&M athletics made $22.7 million in net revenue during fiscal year 2024” (2025-01-31)
- S66 · CASE, “CASE Insights on Voluntary Support of Education, 2025 Key Findings (PDF, raw/)” (2026)
- S68 · Sportico (Daniel Libit), “Blueprint Sports Ran $35M of NIL Money Through Nonprofit in 2024” (2025-12-19)
- S69 · NACUBO, “U.S. Higher Education Endowments Report Stable Returns, Increase Spending to $33.4 Billion in FY25” (2026-02-12)
- S70 · Wikipedia (secondary compilation of NACUBO data), “List of colleges and universities in the United States by endowment (FY2025, citing NACUBO-Commonfund) - CSVs in raw/” (accessed 2026-09-29)