10 Universities Where the Most Alumni Donate
When it comes to supporting their alma mater, alumni have been opening their checkbooks.
Charitable contributions to colleges and universities soared in 2014, according to a survey from the Council for Aid to Education. Alumni donated $9.85 billion in total, making up more than a quarter of all college donations.
Former students at these 10 schools were particularly generous. They received donations from the highest percentage of alumni in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 among the 1,193 ranked schools that reported data to U.S. News in an annual survey.
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Princeton University enjoyed the highest percentage of alumni donating, with 62.9 percent giving back in those two academic years.
California’s Thomas Aquinas College and Massachusetts’ Williams College followed close behind, with 58.3 percent and 56.9 percent giving, respectively.
Florida College was unseated from the top spot on the list. It saw the average percentage of alumni donating drop from 64.7 percent in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 to 54.4 percent in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. However, the smaller portion was still enough to land it at No. 4.
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Among the top 10, an average of 54.4 percent of past attendees donated. On the flip side, 286 schools reported less than 5 percent of alumni donating on average during the same time period.
Below is a list of the 10 colleges and universities with the highest two-year average percentage of alumni donors in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.
| School name (state) | Two-year average percentage of alumni who donated | U.S. News rank and category |
|---|---|---|
| Princeton University (NJ) | 62.9% | 1, National Universities |
| Thomas Aquinas College (CA) | 58.3% | 82 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Williams College (MA) | 56.9% | 1, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Florida College | 54.4% | 54 (tie), Regional Colleges (South) |
| Bowdoin College (ME) | 54.2% | 4 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Middlebury College (VT) | 53% | 4 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Davidson College (NC) | 52.9% | 9 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Wellesley College (MA) | 51.4% | 4 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Carleton College (MN) | 50.6% | 8, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Amherst College (MA) | 49.2% | 2, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
Don’t see your school on the list? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find alumni giving rates, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.
U.S. News surveyed nearly 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2015 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News’ rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The alumni data above are correct as of Oct. 20, 2015.