The Endowment: Each School’s Stake

(Sidebar) The shrinking Harvard endowment affects the University's different schools differently.

Return to main article:

Harvard’s endowment, valued at $36.9 billion as of last June 30, in fact belongs to the separate schools and other academic departments. The large chart shows the share of the endowment owned by each (the Faculty of Arts and Sciences loomed largest, at $15.7 billion—nearly 43 percent of the total). Of crucial importance is each school’s dependence on distributions from the endowment for its operating budget, shown in the inset chart. Source: Harvard University Financial Report, Fiscal Year 2008.

Chart by Stephen Anderson

You might also like

Graduate Student Union Schedules Strike

The work stoppage will begin October 27, unless a final bargaining session next week yields an agreement.

Harvard Graduate Student Union Authorizes Another Strike

The University warns this walkout may not be protected by labor law, an assertion the union disputes.

FAS Readies for Administrative Transition

Faculty leaders say layoffs will yield $20 million in annual savings.

Most popular

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Harvard Stabilizes Finances With Strong Endowment Returns, Philanthropy

Small operating surplus is dwarfed by reduced federal research support and endowment tax liabilities.

Lafayette’s Unexpected Gift to George Washington: Pheasants

The two birds will be on display at Harvard this summer.

Explore More From Current Issue

Black and white portrait of a woman with medium-length hair, smiling softly.

The outgoing executive director and Harvard Business School graduate went from dancing The Nutcracker to growing a ballet company.

Ancient Egyptian painted sarcophagus with detailed hieroglyphs and a woman's face.

A rare Egyptian mummy case is on display at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East.

Colorful icons representing sleep, fruit, speech, and a mind with a water lily.

Check back soon to take our survey!