Preliminary Data Show Educational Endowments’ Investment Returns Averaged 15.8 Percent in FY2014

Average Annual Returns for Three, Five, and Ten Years

Additional findings based on preliminary data — drawn from a smaller sample of 129 institutions — show that participating institutions' trailing three-year average annual returns averaged 8.9 percent; trailing five-year annual returns averaged 11.7 percent; and trailing 10-year returns averaged 7.0 percent. The largest endowments reported the highest returns for the trailing three- and 10-year periods, and lagged the highest five-year return by just 10 basis points.