Study: Educational Endowments' Investment Returns Averaged 15.5 Percent in FY2014

These rising return rates have enabled colleges and universities to increase spending from their endowments to support student financial aid programs, faculty research, and other activities vital to their missions. In fiscal year 2014, 74 percent of all NCSE respondents said they increased spending from their endowments, with a median increase of 9.3 percent. On average, annual endowment funds accounted for 9.2 percent of institutions’ total operating budgets (compared with 8.8 percent in 2013).