School Name: Hampton University
Median Cost of Attendance: $29 074
Undergraduate Population: 4 361
Endowment Needed: $2 535 834 240
Analysis: The university currently needs $2.5 billion for all of its students to attend debt free annually. Hampton’s endowment is the 3rd largest among HBCUs, 244th in the nation, and one of only five to grace the rare air of the HBCU $100 million endowment club. Hampton’s leadership has maintained an aggressive approach to its endowment which has allowed an immense growth over the years and puts it in prime position to challenge Howard and Spelman in the race to become the first billion dollar HBCU endowment. Last year the endowment underperformed with a 12.8% return against the national average of 17.8% and median of 20.0% but expect to see this group come back in a strong way. Expected economic headwinds withstanding in 2013 the university will continue to be an endowment leader among HBCUs because of its forward thinking in deploying capital.
As always it should be noted that endowments provide a myriad of subsidies to the university for everything from scholarship, faculty & administration salaries, research, and much more.
