Understanding Kenyon’s Endowment Kenyon College

Also, Computer Science is a massively popular majors and exists at most liberal arts colleges. Library was a good idea but whether the college needed the other two buildings the size that they are is open to question. The new Library does not have the feel of a traditional library with all the books in the basement which will not upset today’s undergraduates too much. A less grandiose project would seem to have made more economic and financial sense, less overhead/maintenance costs. Kenyon’s overall financial assets are to be sure 6 times greater than back in 1998 but based on the last audit nearly 90 percent are in less liquid Alternative Investments . Perhaps “Everything is Going to be Okay” and perhaps the seductive lure of the campus by itself will guarantee that rich families will flock to Gambier — proving that if you “Build and Build Big, then They Will Come”.

This raises questions about Kenyon increasing enrollment which normally would help in terms of economies of scale, but this is in the face of a contracting pool. Facing severe financial pressure, Ohio Wesleyan is already downsizing, eliminating departments while Kenyon seems eager to age a Computer Science Department. Sam is able to support our current needs while living with annual gifts.

Kenyon College was founded in 1824 and now enrolls around 1,875 students a year, which includes 1,875 undergraduate students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing. On the weekends, about 99.5% of students stay on-campus and participate in campus events and social life.

This may be is one reason that Kenyon students form close, life-long bonds with professors and each other. “We had a great four years in Gambier, but it didn’t stop there. I still talk to my college friends pretty much every day, and I’m in touch with a few professors. I was also considering Vassar, Barnard, and Skidmore, but I’m so glad I ended up at Kenyon.” “To receive this record-breaking gift during a pandemic that is still gripping our country and disrupting our academic year speaks volumes about the strength of Kenyon’s future,” said President Sean Decatur.

Many prestigious and highly selective schools are compared to the Ivy League. In 2022, just 2,778 out of the 7,601 students who applied were accepted. To make this website work, we log user data and share it with processors. To use this website, you must agree to our Privacy Policy, including cookie policy.

Many use the phrase “Ivy Plus” to refer to both the Ivies and a handful of similarly prestigious schools, such as Stanford, MIT, the University of Chicago, and Duke. Some lists, however, also count Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, and Caltech among the Ivy Plus schools. The Public Ivies offer an Ivy League education at a public university price, according to Richard Moll, who coined the term in his 1985 book “The Public Ivys.” More than an application, the Coalition provides free tools and resources to help students through the college admissions process, beginning as early as 9th grade. Some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA early.

$225 million plus $200 million plus $152 million already paid for interest on the borrowed money comes to an investment of $577 million at the present time. However, Kenyon will have invested a near-billion dollars if it continues to pay the annual interest on all the money it has borrowed via bonds issued since 1998 — used to help pay for all the new buildings and the renovation of existing ones. If you’d like to send a letter to the editor for publication, please email us at

Money donated to the College’s endowment can be invested in any number of ways, including venture capital and real estate, according to Nelson. “What you try to do is build a portfolio that’s diverse,” Nelson said. At present, the College is invested in “probably 70 different investment relationships,” according to Nelson. “The optimistic part of me thinks about … doubling the endowment size,” President Sean Decatur said. In comparison, Decatur’s alma mater Swarthmore College, whose student body is smaller than Kenyon’s and opened 40 years after Kenyon did, had an endowment of $1.5 billion in 2013, according to its website. Get Preqin Pro for unrestricted access to 600,000+ detailed profiles on fund managers, investors, funds, companies, and other alternative asset players.

In spring 2006, John Kerry delivered the commencement address at Kenyon College, stating that he was “honored” by the students who waited in line during the election. During the 2008 presidential election campaign, the events at Kenyon in the 2004 election were remembered and recounted in discussions of voting rights. Parker, who has been a member of the Board since 2006, said the need for new housing has been well-established, as reaffirmed by the recent housing study. “Finding funding for housing is a challenge across academia, so to get a gift of $100 million to address this demonstrated need is remarkable,” said Parker. Adding more beds also allows the College to welcome more alumni back for Reunion Weekend while offering modern housing amenities, including private or semi-private bathrooms as well as elevators.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of “normal time” to completion for their program. In 2020, 85% of students graduating from Kenyon College completed their program strothers cinema within 100% “normal time” (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 87% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 88% within 200%. The full-time enrollment at Kenyon College is 1,610 students and the part-time enrollment is 5.