Endowment returns flat for universities

Overall, there are 71 U.S. universities with endowments higher than $1 billion, down from 76 in the survey a year ago.

Here are the top 10 university endowments, their 2012 value and the percentage change from 2011:

1. Harvard University, $30.44 billion, down 4.1 percent.

2. Yale University, $19.35 billion, down 0.1 percent.

3. University of Texas System, $18.26 billion, up 6.5 percent.

4. Stanford University, $17.04 billion, up 3.2 percent.

5. Princeton University, $16.95 percent, down 0.9 percent.

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, $10.15 billion, up 4.5 percent.

7. University of Michigan, $7.69 billion, down 1.8 percent.

8. Columbia University, $7.65 billion, down 1.7 percent.

9. Texas A&M University System, $7.64 billion, up 9.1 percent.

10. Northwestern University, $7.12 billion, down 0.9 percent.

Changes from 2011 reflect combined impact of fundraising, investment returns and spending out of the endowments.

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