College and university endowments grew by at least 20 percent in fiscal year 2021. The average value increased by 35 percent to $1.1 billion. The median endowment size swelled to $200 million. Surveyed institutions posted a median return of 30.1 percent in fiscal 2021, compared with 1.8 percent in 2020. While growing endowments are good for institutions, very few students benefit from the high returns.
