Dear Commons Community,

There are a number of American colleges and universities which have estimated endowments greater than $2 billion dollars, meaning their wealth not only exceeds that of many large companies, but that of fourteen different nations. As reported by Stacker:

“Using data from the NACUBO 2017 Commonfund Study of Endowments, Stacker compiled a list of the 50 American colleges with the most substantial endowments, each of which exceeds the total wealth of a number of nations around the world.  There are a handful of incredible locations around the world where one can’t help but feel the money that went into sculpting the grandiose ambiance. Though it used to be the case that only the likes of luxurious hotels and restaurants could synthesize these kinds of environments, stepping onto the campus of one of America’s top colleges can now have that very same effect. America’s public schooling system may be in trouble, but our top universities are anything but.  Considering not only the quality of architecture on display in many of our academic institutions, but also the commitment to funding research, investing in advanced technologies, and top-of-the-line amenities available at many colleges, it can be helpful to put some universities’ finances into context to understand the true scale of their riches.”

It will be interesting to see how U.S. Congress’ plan to tax university endowments plays out.

Tony