Colleges & Universities

Private university presidents who earn $1M or more

In this May 21, 2005 file photo, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson is shown during commencement excercises in Troy, N.Y.
Tim Rosker | AP

Thirty-six college presidents made more than $1 million in their 2012 salary, based on a Chronicle of Higher Education report released Sunday that analyzed 500 private colleges.

Compared with the median salary of nearly $400,000, the top paid private college president was Shirley Ann Jackson at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, according to the Daily Mail. Jackson earned $7.1 million, which included a $5.9 million retention compensation that was withheld for several decades.

After Jackson, Quinnipiac University's John Lahey netted $3.7 million, Lee Bollinger at Columbia University made $3.3 million, and Amy Gutmann from University of Pennsylvania earned $2.4 million. Several Ivy League and other prestigious university presidents did not make the cutoff, including Princeton, Stanford and Harvard, whose Presidents made around $900,000, Daily Mail said.

The analysis was conducted using tax forms and other government filings. The figures do not include retirement pay.

Read MoreBusiness schools are getting generous with aid

Read the coverage on Daily Mail.