Media contact: Robert Hornsby, 212-854-9752, r.hornsby@columbia.edu

 

NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2011—Columbia University’s Investment Management Company generated a return of 23.6 percent on its endowment portfolio for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, which reflects the normal quarterly lag in private equity and real assets.

 

Most significantly, the University’s long-term returns have been sharply higher than a quarterly rebalanced portfolio of 70 percent equities and 30 percent fixed income, as represented by the S&P 500 and Barclays Aggregate Index, respectively. Columbia’s annualized five-year positive return of 8.8 percent compares to 4.5 percent for a 70/30 portfolio; its annualized seven-year return of 11.4 percent compares to a 5.0 percent return for a 70/30 portfolio; and the annualized 10-year return of 9.9 percent compares to 4.1 percent for the 70/30 market portfolio.

 

This 10-year performance of 9.9 percent on endowment investments compares to the annualized S&P Total Return of 2.7 percent during the same decade. Equally notable is the fact that Columbia’s endowment investments have achieved strong gains during up cycles in the financial markets—and a relatively modest loss compared to market benchmarks during the global financial crisis in 2008-09.

 

As a result, the total value of the University’s endowment as of June 30, 2011 was $7.8 billion.

 

“This consistent record of prudent investment management plays a vital role in Columbia’s mission,” said President Lee C. Bollinger. “Our ability to achieve academic excellence in the highest tier with several peer institutions that have far larger endowments than our own has been greatly aided on our relative financial stability during these turbulent years. We must continue to invest in attracting the most talented students and faculty and providing them with the resources and facilities to do the highest quality teaching and learning, research, and patient care. The dedicated professionals and board of our investment management company have helped ensure that we maintain Columbia's forward momentum in both academic initiatives and long-term development.”

 

A leading academic and research university, Columbia University continually seeks to advance the frontiers of knowledge and to foster a campus community deeply engaged in understanding and addressing the complex global issues of our time. Columbia’s extensive public service initiatives, cultural collaborations, and community partnerships help define the University’s underlying values and mission to educate students to be both leading scholars and informed, engaged citizens. Founded in 1754 as King’s College, Columbia University in the City of New York is the fifth oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.