A college’s endowment says a lot about a school. It speaks to power, influence, wealth and a school’s quality. Better, more prestigious institutions generally have a larger endowment, be it from donations, assets, real estate or securities. Where does the University of Texas rank nationally, and more specifically within the state of Texas?
A school’s endowment funds much an institution’s operational expenses. But it also continues to be added to and lives in perpetuity. Many colleges and universities in the United States have some of the largest endowments in the world and make up the majority of schools with endowments greater than $1 billion.
There is also a big disparity in endowments among schools in the US, and Texas for that matter. One fifth of institutions own four fifths of total endowment wealth. The bottom 20-percent of institutions own about 1-percent of the endowment pool.
So where does the University of Texas fit in? UT sits at or near the top.
Nationally, the top spots on the list are Ivy League schools or similar. Schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford have been in or around the top five for years and years. MIT and Penn are close. All are prestigious private schools.
But there is one public school outlier – Texas.
UT is generally in the top ten and usually in the top five. In 2024, Texas was second to Harvard. Texas was second in 2023 to Harvard as well. In 2021, UT was third behind Harvard and Yale.
Within the Lone Star State, UT stands on top of the list. The Texas system’s endowment is No. 1 in the state with a 2025 endowment of $27.17 Billion. There is really only one serious challenger, Texas A&M. The Aggies’ total endowment is $22.23 Billion. Third on the list is Rice with an endowment of $8.50 Billion. The disparity discussed earlier on display.
2025 Total University Endowment – State of Texas
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: What is the richest college in the State of Texas?
Reporting by Trey Luerssen, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
