Colleges in Delaware County saw increased returns on their fiscal 2025 endowments, writes Ryan Mulligan for the Philadelphia Business Journal.
It was an atypical year because equity and bond investments were both up.
Those gains, however, will likely be impacted by higher federal endowment taxes for some schools.
Swarthmore College saw a 9 percent increase in its endowment investment, from $2.73 billion in 2024 to $2.84 billion in 2025.
Villanova University saw an 8 percent increase, from $1.31 billion in 2024 to $1.41 billion in 2025.
Haverford College had a 10 percent increase, from $702.25 million in 2024 to $751.01 million in 2025.
College endowments come from gifts and donations that are then invested in stocks, private equity, bonds, hedge funds, and venture capital.
They pay for scholarships, capital projects, endowed faculty positions, and other expenses.
“The importance of the endowment to higher education budgets is growing because there is more volatility in their other revenue sources,” said Anne Duggan, managing director of the Radnor-based TIFF Investment Management. “The endowment they can rely on, and it’s captive, so it’s a source that they are able to use in perpetuity.”
Read more about local university finances in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
