College fundraising is increasingly dominated by a tiny group of ultra-rich donors, even as many schools face funding cuts, falling enrolment and closures.
01Summary
- 01In 2025, donors gave $79 billion to colleges and universities, up 4% in constant dollars from the previous year.
- 02According to the text, 89% of higher-education giving came from just 2% of donors in 2025.
- 03Ken Griffin gave Carnegie Mellon University more than $3 billion on 30 September 2026, breaking the previous university gift record.
- 04The Knights gave Oregon State University $2 billion in 2025 and later gave the University of Oregon $1 billion for a new engineering college.
- 05Hampshire College is slated to close after the fall semester of 2026 despite a fundraising campaign and a $5 million gift from Ken Burns.
02Why it matters
The story shows how heavily colleges now depend on a handful of wealthy donors just as public and private funding pressures are rising. That can affect whether schools can keep operating, expand aid or cover basic costs.
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