Stunning. Tracking Endowments to Top U.S. College and Universities

There are areas that the U.S. ranks well at and others that the U.S. ranks poorly. For example, this series of reality-check articles here on the Patch documented how poorly the U.S. ranks in terms of global rates of home ownership. That U.S. vs other countries report in rates of home ownership is linked here. In fairness, an area that the U.S. ranks much better is in terms of top colleges and universities.

According to a check by left-leaning Google's AI powered Gemini is the following on 11.26.2024.

The United States is the most represented country in the world's top universities, with the most universities in the top 100 and the most universities overall. However, other countries are also gaining in esteem, including China, France, and Germany.

Here are some details about the top universities in the world:

Top universities by country The United States has the most top 100 universities, with 36, and the most universities overall, with 169. The United Kingdom is second with 8 universities in the top 100, and China is third with 6.
Top universities by institution Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is consistently ranked at the top, followed by Imperial College London, the University of Oxford, Harvard University, and the University of Cambridge.
Countries gaining in esteem China, France, and Germany are gaining in esteem, with China's universities taking 7.7% of the vote share for teaching and 7.3% for research.
Universities in the Arab world The American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and the University of Jordan in Jordan are known for their contributions to higher education and research.
Countries with high numbers of female-led institutions The Netherlands, the US, Germany, and the UK have high numbers of female-led institutions.

Certainly money invested in higher education can be a factor in that ranking. The graphic below is related to the video that follows which tracks on a moving scale the amounts of the endowments provided to U.S. colleges and universities. Endowments in the tens of billions is a reality for the top institutions for higher education. More on that shortly.

As noted, the above is a kind of snapshot of the moving bar chart below of the top endowments from 1990 to 2021.

In a sense, the fact that the U.S. has the most top-ranked institutions of higher education is the 'good news.' Perhaps more troubling is the following, and is less thought of by much of the public, which is why this topic is useful to thinking citizens.

According to Degree Query is the following.

"30 Years of U.S. college endowments

Based on the most recent NACUBO survey of 810 universities, the total market value of endowments in 2018 was $624.3 billion. 48.3% of that is held by just 20 colleges. But why the huge growth in market value over the past 30 years? It might be something to do with how much of the endowment the university chooses to spend on operations or the return rates of the endowment’s investment portfolio. Due to their often wealthy donor base and long-term investment horizons, the largest university endowments can invest in a diverse array of asset classes, and often grow faster than the economy as a whole."

So, while the national debt has soared, the amount of endowments to soared too. The federal debt is a negative figure and a drag on the economy. The endowments are a positive figure and not a debt.

Also according to Degree Query: "From 1990 to 2020, the market value of the 20 largest college endowments grew at an average annual rate of 8.5% — faster than the 6.6% average annual growth rate for the Fortune 500 over the same period. The universities with the fastest growth over the past 30 years include the University of Michigan, Duke University and the University of Notre Dame. Meanwhile, the endowments with the slowest growth include Emory University, Rice University and Washington University in St. Louis."

The amount of gross domestic product (GDP) - a common measure of the growth of the U.S. economy - is thus outpaced by the growth of endowments.

The area of concern raised by Degree Query is this.

"A college endowment refers to all the money that an institution receives in donations. However, endowment funds are not ‘no-questions-asked’ cash boosts for the college. Instead, endowments are tightly controlled investments that are supposed to be grown so that the interest can be used to upgrade facilities, hire new staff, provide scholarships or aid the college or its students in some way.

Over the past three decades, the total market value of the 20 largest college endowments has grown nearly tenfold — from $30.6 billion to $302.1 billion. As the size of college endowments has increased, so too has the debate over their purpose, management and ethical obligations."

This Q&A with left-leaning Bing's AI powered Copilot said the following.

MHProNews inquiry:

Degree query did research linked here https://www.degreequery.com/la... that includes this remark: "A college endowment refers to all the money that an institution receives in donations. However, endowment funds are not ‘no-questions-asked’ cash boosts for the college...
Over the past three decades, the total market value of the 20 largest college endowments has grown nearly tenfold — from $30.6 billion to $302.1 billion. As the size of college endowments has increased, so too has the debate over their purpose, management and ethical obligations." Is it fair to say that those donations are often shaping what educators and higher education-linked institutions are researching and teaching?

Copilot response:

Yes, it's fair to say that donations and endowments often shape what educators and higher education institutions research and teach. Endowments provide a significant source of funding for universities, and donors frequently place restrictions on how their contributions can be used1. This means that certain programs, research areas, and academic positions can be directly influenced by the priorities and interests of donors.

For example, endowments often support student financial aid, endowed faculty positions, academic programs, and research initiatives. As a result, the areas that receive substantial funding from endowments can shape the institution's focus and priorities1.

While this funding is crucial for the sustainability and growth of educational institutions, it also raises questions about the influence of donors on academic freedom and the direction of research. Balancing donor interests with the institution's mission and values is an ongoing challenge in higher education. ...

1 www.aau.edu ..."

There is an authentic debate over topics such as climate change, but the public is often shielded from that discussion. Part of the 'research' for climate change comes from colleges and universities which are getting donations from sources that may want to push that climate change narrative. When media fails to point that out, they are doing their readers/viewers/listeners a disservice. Despite what is often heard, series scientists believe that climate change is not the risk it is portrayed as and is not significantly contributed by man-made activities. For example, the largest hurricane on record occurred before the industrial era. So, obviously, human industrial, automotive or other CO2 producing activity wasn't a factor. An in depth look at the climate topic thatincludes scientists who say it isn't a risk is found at this link here.

When it comes to the rising or fall of the oceans, MHProNews has used this illustration for years because it underscores the point that human activity had nothing to do with the vast majority of those thousands of years.

It is one thing to say that clean air, water, and soil are desirable. They are. Those have historically been 'conservative' principles, almost by definition. But it is an entirely different matter to insist that CO2 emissions are 'causing' 'climate change' and 'the rising of sea levels,' for example. Long before factories and the industrial era, the climate and sea/ocean levels on planet earth have been changing. One must 'follow the money trail' of those alarmists who claim with disputed evidence that the climate is 'an existential threat' because those voices are often funded by those who are profiting from this 'climate crisis.' https://www.manufacturedhomepr...

Who are those making the big, string-attached donations to U.S. universities? Often it is corporate leaders and the wealthy. Those individuals and entities often have an agenda, which is why Degree Query said there is a debate among educators on the impact of those donations on U.S. higher education. Many of the so-called 1 percent don't think the same way as the rest of the nation does.

We will refer to this article again. You'll see why in the days ahead. Stay tuned for more of what's behind the curtain here on the Patch from your neighbor and writer for MHProNews.

PS: as a reminder, this writer is a political independent. No one asked me to write these articles, no sponsor has asked us to tackle these topics. There are truth-tellers in media, but there are also those who obscure the truth by accident, ignorance, or design. Follow the money is one of the most important principles that should be applied when seeking the motivation for someone's position on a topic.

The entire series here on the Patch can be accessed from this link here.

Some recent and prior articles are as follows.

--> Deception & Misdirection-3 Tricks-Paltering, Posturing and Projecting

--

--Affordable housing, mobile homes and manufactured homes related topics:

--> Realtor-What Is a Manufactured Home? The Next Step Beyond Mobile Homes

---L. A. “Tony” Kovach is a publisher who has earned multiple awards in history. He and his family live in a manufactured home on private property in Winter Haven, FL. He is the co-founder of ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com (MHLivingNews.com) and ManufacturedHomeProNews.com (MHProNews.com), trade publications serving segments of the manufactured home industry. Having worked in several segments of the manufactured home industry for over 3 decades, Kovach is a widely acknowledged and often praised expert on manufactured housing. ###

Nearby Communities

State Edition

National Edition

Politics & Government

Stunning. Tracking Endowments to Top U.S. College and Universities

U.S. is #1 Nation in High-Ranking Universities. But see Global Comparison and Stunning Size of U.S. Endowments to Higher Ed-and the strings.

L. A. "Tony" Kovach, Neighbor

Find out what's happening in Lakelandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Find out what's happening in Lakelandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"30 Years of U.S. college endowments

> Majority OK Trump Transition-Mass Deportations-Tariffs- Is it Hopeful?

> Trillion$ Lost - Pentagon Fails Audit Again - Facts & Analysis

> Properly Exposing Corruption is the Start of Rooting Out Corruption

> Neighbors and Fellow Americans-You Could be Guilty of 3 Felonies a Day

> Niskanen Center Praises Manufactured Home ‘Cost Savings’ and ‘Quality’

Frank Sinatra - Someone To Watch Over Me (Remastered) - Old Blue Eyes

'Send In the Clowns' - Judy Collins, Frank Sinatra - Lyrics & Meaning

POWER: Movie Buffs –Fictional Insights Into How Real Politicos Operate

Cartoons-Kamala Day 1, DOGE the Swamp, Brainwashing, & Out In the Cold

The Creepy Line-Peter Schweizer-Dr. Jordan Peterson-Dr. Robert Epstein

Dr. Marty Makary Gives Reasons to Support RFK Jr for HHS Secretary

More from Lakeland

Missing FL Girl Found Hiding In Sex Offender’s Closet: Sheriff

Stolen Truck With Flat Tire, Little Gas Hampers Theft Suspect: Police

Winter Haven Woman Used Meth Before Crash That Killed Boy, Injured Another: Police

Free Dog Training Class

Free Bra Fittings to Support Breast Cancer Awareness