US University Endowments Showing Marked Increases in Value. (February 11, 2011)

While unemployment in the United States may be remaining close to 10% the value of shares in the stock market continues to climb. As a result the value of endowment share investments of the US universities are showing healthy improvements following the GFC of 2008. Nevertheless they still have some way to go to fully recover.

Overall the average increase in value at US colleges and universities over the year ending June 2010 has been 11.9%, well above the rate of inflation.

Turning to specifics for the five richest universities:

Harvard's endowment has a current value of US$27.6 billion, the interest on which would fully cover the annual running costs of any of Australia's Group of Eight.

Listing in order the current top five endowments:

• Harvard University = US$27.6 billion

• Yale University = US$16.7 billion

• Princeton University = US$14.4 billion

• University of Texas System = US$14.0 billion

• Stanford University = US$13.9 billion.