The market value of Stanford’s endowment grew from $16.5 billion to $17.03 billion during the 2011-2012 fiscal year, an increase of 3.2 percent. This ranks Stanford fourth in the nation for endowment size behind Harvard, Yale and the University of Texas system.

The average college endowment decreased by 0.3 percent this past year, though colleges with large endowments recorded higher rates of return in general.

The Stanford endowment fell to $12.6 billion in the 2008-2009 fiscal year, a decrease of 27 percent from the previous year, which prompted the University to implement budget cuts. The endowment rose to $13.8 billion by the end of the 2010 fiscal year and $16.5 billion by the end of the 2011 fiscal year.

During the 2012 fiscal year, 23 percent of Stanford’s operating expenses were covered by endowment payout. The Stanford Merged Pool, the primary investment vehicle of Stanford’s endowment, announced a ten-year annualized return of 9.7 percent in June 2012.