Biggest 2009 Endowment Losses
College endowments took a big hit in their last fiscal year, suffering their worst annual returns since the Great Depression.
According to a new study by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and the Commonfund Institute, endowments and affiliated foundations had an average investment loss of 19 percent between July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009.
CNBC.com looked at the 250 largest endowments in the U.S. and highlighted the 15 that suffered the most dramatic losses in market value. They are ranked according to the percentage change in market value between fiscal year-end 2009 and fiscal year-end 2008. Factors such as growth from gifts, reductions due to expenditures and withdrawals, as well as investment returns determine an endowment's fiscal year-end market value.
Click ahead to see the rankings. Some of the biggest losers may surprise you!
By Brooke Sopelsa
15. Principia Corporation (Principia College)
Location: Saint Louis, Mo.
2009 Endowment Loss: $206 million (-28%)
Endowment Value: $529 million
14. University of St. Thomas
Location: Saint Paul, Minn.
2009 Endowment Loss: $98.8 million (-28.16%)
Endowment Value: $252 million
13. Florida State University Foundation
Location: Tallahassee, Fla.
2009 Endowment Loss: $161 million (-28.22%)
Endowment Value: $410 million
12. Yale University
Location: New Haven, Conn.
2009 Endowment Loss: $6.5 billion (-28.6%)
Endowment Value: $16.3 billion
11. Fuller Foundation (Fuller Theological Seminary)
Location: Pasadena, Calif.
2009 Endowment Loss: $123 million (-29.1%)
Endowment Value: $300 million
10. Carnegie Mellon
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.
2009 Endowment Loss: $313 million (-29.4%)
Endowment Value: $754 million
9. Harvard University
Location: Cambridge, Mass.
2009 Endowment Loss: $10.9 billion (-29.8%)
Endowment Value: $25.7 billion
8. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Location: Needham, Mass.
2009 Endowment Loss: $141 million (-30%)
Endowment Value: $329M
7. Bates College
Location: Lewiston, Maine
2009 Endowment Loss: $83 million (-31.2%)
Endowment value: $184 million
6. Samford University
Location: Birmingham, Ala.
2009 Endowment Loss: $96 million (-31.22%)
Endowment Value: $211 million
5. Ithaca College
Location: Ithaca, N.Y.
2009 Endowment Loss: $75 million (-31.7%)
Endowment Value: $161 million
4. Regent University
Location: Virginia Beach, Va.
2009 Endowment Loss: $87 million (-31.9%)
Endowment Value: $187 million
3. Baylor College of Medicine
Location: Houston, Texas
2009 Endowment Loss: $360 million (-33%)
Endowment Value: $731 million
2. Syracuse University
Location: Syracuse, N.Y
2009 Endowment Loss: $327 million (-33.2%)
Endowment Value: $658 million
1. Haverford College
Location: Haverford, Penn.
2009 Endowment Loss: $185 million (-35.5%)
Endowment Value: $336 million