Education

50 highest-paid public college presidents

Written by:
Ben Wittstein
October 29, 2018
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50 highest-paid public college presidents

It's no secret that many university presidents make a pretty penny for their work overseeing daily operations at some of the nation's top schools. Some liken college presidents to chief executive officers of major corporations, where salaries, job descriptions, and especially bonuses and perks vary greatly—and income swings reach into the millions of dollars.

To find out which university presidents earn the greatest compensation for their work at the top, Stacker referenced data from The Chronicle of Higher Education to rank the 50 highest-paid public college presidents and chancellors as of the 2016-2017 academic year (the most recent data available). We've noted instances where these leaders have since left their respective institutions.

Read on to discover which public schools host the highest-compensated chief executives in the nation.

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#50. Ronald M. Berkman

College: Cleveland State University
Total compensation: $641,817
Base pay: $450,000
Bonus pay: $112,500
Other pay: $60,000

Note: Berkman retired in 2018.

#49. Angel Cabrera

College: George Mason University
Total compensation: $645,017
Base pay: $545,017
Bonus pay: $81,312
Other pay: $0

#48. Steven J. Rosenstone

College: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system
Total compensation: $650,994
Base pay: $390,000
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $240,306

Note: Rosenstone retired as MnSCU chancellor in 2017.

#47. Carine M. Feyten

College: Texas Woman's University
Total compensation: $658,860
Base pay: $460,000
Bonus pay: $30,000
Other pay: $161,452

#46. Michael H. Schill

College: University of Oregon
Total compensation: $675,520
Base pay: $660,000
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $0

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#45. James B. Milliken

College: City University of New York system
Total compensation: $689,786
Base pay: $670,000
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $0

Note: Milliken left his role as CUNY chancellor in 2018 and is now chancellor of the University of Texas system.

#44. Michael Rao

College: Virginia Commonwealth University
Total compensation: $690,943
Base pay: $523,281
Bonus pay: $31,502
Other pay: $136,160

#43. Harris Pastides

College: University of South Carolina at Columbia
Total compensation: $691,592
Base pay: $591,592
Bonus pay: $100,000
Other pay: $0

#42. Anthony A. Frank

College: Colorado State University at Fort Collins
Total compensation: $700,000
Base pay: $600,000
Bonus pay: $100,000
Other pay: $0

#41. Timothy Killeen

College: University of Illinois system
Total compensation: $712,246
Base pay: $600,000
Bonus pay: $100,000
Other pay: $0

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#40. Ana Mari Cauce

College: University of Washington
Total compensation: $712,498
Base pay: $712,498
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $0

#39. Robert L. Duncan

College: Texas Tech University system
Total compensation: $716,583
Base pay: $509,750
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $202,880

Note: Duncan retired from the Texas Tech University system in 2018.

#38. Joel S. Bloom

College: New Jersey Institute of Technology
Total compensation: $721,071
Base pay: $571,650
Bonus pay: $138,750
Other pay: $0

#37. Satish K. Tripathi

College: University at Buffalo
Total compensation: $723,470
Base pay: $723,470
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $0

#36. G.P. (Bud) Peterson

College: Georgia Institute of Technology
Total compensation: $730,099
Base pay: $671,402
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $0

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#35. Brian McCall

College: Texas State University system
Total compensation: $746,000
Base pay: $546,000
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $200,000

#34. Samuel L. Stanley, Jr.

College: Stony Brook University
Total compensation: $747,001
Base pay: $449,453
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $280,000

#33. Lee F. Jackson

College: University of North Texas system
Total compensation: $750,838
Base pay: $608,100
Bonus pay: $121,620
Other pay: $5,408

Note: Jackson retired in 2017.

#32. Beverly J. Warren

College: Kent State University
Total compensation: $756,207
Base pay: $468,180
Bonus pay: $93,636
Other pay: $175,930

#31. Cheslie Ray Hayes

College: University of Alabama system
Total compensation: $758,125
Base pay: $653,125
Bonus pay: $105,000
Other pay: $0

Note: Hayes retired in 2018.

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#30. Bernadette Gray-Little

College: University of Kansas
Total compensation: $759,508
Base pay: $531,008
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $218,000

#29. Gregory L. Fenves

College: University of Texas at Austin
Total compensation: $762,220
Base pay: $750,000
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $1,280

#28. Stuart R. Bell

College: University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa
Total compensation: $768,000
Base pay: $663,000
Bonus pay: $105,000
Other pay: $0

#27. Mitchell E. Daniels Jr.

College: Purdue University at West Lafayette
Total compensation: $770,520
Base pay: $420,000
Bonus pay: $349,500
Other pay: $0

#26. Robert L. Caret

College: University System of Maryland
Total compensation: $785,696
Base pay: $630,000
Bonus pay: $75,000
Other pay: $53,000

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#25. E. Gordon Gee

College: West Virginia University
Total compensation: $799,650
Base pay: $796,938
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $2,712

#24. Mark S. Schlissel

College: University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Total compensation: $806,374
Base pay: $791,812
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $0

#23. James P. Clements

College: Clemson University
Total compensation: $809,334
Base pay: $795,629
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $0

#22. Robert L. Barchi

College: Rutgers University at New Brunswick
Total compensation: $818,033
Base pay: $702,081
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $114,402

#21. Susan Herbst

College: University of Connecticut
Total compensation: $823,907
Base pay: $627,716
Bonus pay: $40,000
Other pay: $133,000

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#20. David W. Pershing

College: University of Utah
Total compensation: $824,941
Base pay: $480,548
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $327,287

Note: Pershing resigned in 2017.

#19. W. Randolph Woodson

College: North Carolina State University
Total compensation: $826,136
Base pay: $617,376
Bonus pay: $203,086
Other pay: $0

#18. Eli Capilouto

College: University of Kentucky
Total compensation: $827,632
Base pay: $790,000
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $0

#17. Lou Anna K. Simon

College: Michigan State University
Total compensation: $857,024
Base pay: $750,000
Bonus pay: $100,000
Other pay: $0

Note: Simon resigned in 2018.

#16. Michael M. Crow

College: Arizona State University
Total compensation: $860,649
Base pay: $795,024
Bonus pay: $50,000
Other pay: $0

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#15. Raymond Watts

College: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Total compensation: $889,571
Base pay: $485,297
Bonus pay: $105,000
Other pay: $299,274

#14. Renu Khator

College: University of Houston
Total compensation: $913,351
Base pay: $704,983
Bonus pay: $200,000
Other pay: $960

#13. Margaret Spellings

College: University of North Carolina system
Total compensation: $977,077
Base pay: $775,000
Bonus pay: $45,000
Other pay: $122,500

Note: Spellings resigned in 2018.

#12. Michael K. Young

College: Texas A&M University at College Station
Total compensation: $1,000,000
Base pay: $1,000,000
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $0

#11. Eric J. Barron

College: Pennsylvania State University at University Park
Total compensation: $1,038,170
Base pay: $818,000
Bonus pay: $200,000
Other pay: $0

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#10. Michael V. Drake

College: Ohio State University
Total compensation: $1,073,272
Base pay: $829,600
Bonus pay: $204,000
Other pay: $300

#9. W. Kent Fuchs

College: University of Florida
Total compensation: $1,099,975
Base pay: $866,425
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $215,408

#8. Douglas D. Baker

College: Northern Illinois University
Total compensation: $1,124,248
Base pay: $450,000
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $674,248

Note: Baker resigned in 2017.

#7. Judy L. Genshaft

College: University of South Florida
Total compensation: $1,184,520
Base pay: $493,500
Bonus pay: $175,000
Other pay: $500,000

#6. John C. Hitt

College: University of Central Florida
Total compensation: $1,278,371
Base pay: $505,730
Bonus pay: $655,475
Other pay: $101,146

Note: Hitt resigned in 2018.

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#5. John Sharp

College: Texas A&M University system office
Total compensation: $1,285,147
Base pay: $900,000
Bonus pay: $200,000
Other pay: $174,598

#4. Neil D. Theobald

College: Temple University
Total compensation: $1,380,071
Base pay: $718,303
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $642,918

Note: Theobald resigned at the start of the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

 

#3. William H. McRaven

College: University of Texas system
Total compensation: $1,500,140
Base pay: $1,200,000
Bonus pay: $300,000
Other pay: $140

Note: McRaven stepped down as Chancellor in 2018.

#2. Jay Gogue

College: Auburn University
Total compensation: $1,827,786
Base pay: $451,333
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $1,376,453

Note: Gogue retired in 2017.

#1. James R. Ramsey

College: University of Louisville
Total compensation: $4,290,232
Base pay: $55,703
Bonus pay: $0
Other pay: $4,233,739

Note: Ramsey resigned 27 days into the 2017 fiscal year.

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