College Endowments Hit Record Values—And Maybe the Ire of Lawmakers

Harvard reaches $39.2 billion; Yale is at $29.4 billion
Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate floats state tax idea

Canoe paddlers row past the campus of Harvard University on the Charles River, which divides the school's campus between Cambridge and Boston.
Photographer: Kelvin Ma/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Janet Lorin

October 9, 2018 at 12:00 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Harvard University’s $39.2 billion endowment has reached a record value. So did Yale. And Brown. And Dartmouth.

As many wealthy U.S. universities report bulging assets and strong investment gains for the latest fiscal year, the timing isn’t ideal. Their fat coffers may draw the ire of lawmakers, some of whom view schools as hoarding their billions of dollars and have questioned their tax-exempt status.