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

The longtime administrator, who retired from the post in 2018, returns as the College reorganizes. 

A new proposed structure, layoffs, and a five-day-a-week in-person work mandate will take effect by fall.

At informational town hall meetings, faculty and staff press administrators for details.

Most popular

Fake social media posts aim to distract

Distraction seems to be the aim of a massive government campaign of fake social media posts.

The Science of Happiness

This doesn’t feel like a normal academic conference. True, the three-day Positive Psychology Summit is a sellout, with 425 attendees...

Mindfulness—the unconventional research of psychologist Ellen Langer

Psychologist Ellen Langer's unconventional research. Plus, read about applying mindfulness techniques to eating.

Explore More From Current Issue

Star-filled night sky with the Milky Way arching over a rocky silhouette.

There’s a growing movement to curb light pollution. It starts on your front porch.

A profile illustration of a man surrounded by colorful, whimsical text in multiple languages.

For both American and international students, growing up is like learning a new language.

An open book with a film strip emerging, trailing popcorn and a dancer silhouette.

Readers Respond to Our Adaptations Survey

We asked people to share their favorite art adaptations. Here’s what they said.