Media contact: Robert Hornsby, 212-854-9752, [email protected]
NEW YORK, October 3, 2013 — Columbia University produced a return of 11.5 percent on its endowment portfolio for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. This reflects the normal one-quarter lag in private equity and real asset valuations.
The total value of Columbia’s endowment as of June 30 was $8.2 billion. The University’s trailing 5- and 10-year returns—6.8 percent and 11 percent, respectively—are the highest among peer endowments larger than $1 billion.
“A key part of our success in maintaining Columbia’s solid financial position has been the consistent success of our endowment investment managers year after year,” said University President Lee C. Bollinger. “While our results for the past fiscal year were excellent, the important story here is that over the past decade, our investment performance has consistently outpaced both the market and our peers, helping Columbia compete academically with other great universities that have far larger endowments.”
About Columbia University
Among the world’s leading research universities, Columbia University in the City of New York continuously seeks to advance the frontiers of scholarship and foster a campus community deeply engaged in the complex issues of our time through teaching, research, patient care and public service. The University is comprised of 16 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools, and four affiliated colleges and seminaries in Manhattan, and a wide array of research institutes and global centers around the world. More than 40,000 students, award-winning faculty and professional staff define the University’s underlying values and commitment to pursuing new knowledge and educating informed, engaged citizens. Founded in 1754 as King’s College, Columbia is the fifth oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.