How Much Are Public-College Presidents Paid?

Base pay, bonuses, and benefits for 180 chief executives at public doctoral universities and systems in 2024.

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Total pay
Base pay
Bonus pay
Other
Benefits
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Notes

Data here may vary from what appeared in print, due to updates and corrections received after publication.

N/A Not applicable

^* Did not serve as chief executive for the full year.

Methodology

These data show the total compensation received by chief executives at public universities and college systems in the 2024 calendar year. Parenthetical value shown next to total pay is the one-year change. If the president received pay from more than one institution in 2023, those values are combined to determine the percentage change.

All individuals who served as chief executive during this period, including interim and acting leaders, are included. Oftentimes, more than one chief executive served at an institution during a given year. Presidents who served less than the full year are noted.

Compensation values for all employees reflect the compensation earned from the institution (and associated foundations) across a calendar year, regardless of the role or roles held by those employees during the full year.

Photographs were obtained from college websites.

The Chronicle surveyed institutions to collect these public data. Surveys were sent to all public research institutions and doctoral universities (nonmilitary service) in the United States as well as all state college and university systems or governing boards with at least three campuses or 50,000 total students enrolled across the system in the most recent academic year. Surveyed institutions had either a doctoral classification in the 2021 Carnegie Basic Classification or a 2025 Carnegie classification as a research institution.

This analysis does not include systems, state boards, or administrative departments that oversee only technical or community colleges, nor does it include institutions in Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories.

As of publication time, The Chronicle did not receive the requested compensation data from the following institutions. Open-records requests sent to some of these institutions also had not been fulfilled by publication time:

Alabama A&M University
Alabama State University
Alcorn State University
Appalachian State University
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Auburn University
Austin Peay State University
Ball State University
Bowie State University
California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo and Pomona)
California State University (Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico, Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Fullerton, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Marcos)
Chicago State University
Christopher Newport University
The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina
City University of New York (Bernard M. Baruch College, Brooklyn College, College of Staten Island, City College, Graduate School and University Center, Hunter College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Lehman College, Queens College, the system office)
Cleveland State University
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
College of New Jersey
Colorado State University at Pueblo
Dakota State University
Delaware State University
East Carolina University
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Tennessee State University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Washington University
Fayetteville State University
Ferris State University
Florida A&M University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida International University
Grand Valley State University
Indiana University system
Indiana University at Bloomington
Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
Jackson State University
Kean University
Kent State University at Kent
Langston University
Louisiana Tech University
Marshall University
Metropolitan State University
Michigan Technological University
Middle Tennessee State University
Minnesota State University at Mankato
Mississippi State University
Missouri State University at Springfield
Montana Technological University
Morehead State University
Morgan State University
Murray State University
New Mexico Highlands University
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Norfolk State University
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina State University
North Dakota State University
Northern Kentucky University
Ohio University
Pittsburg State University
Prairie View A&M University
Purdue University (Fort Wayne, Global, Northwest)
Radford University
Rhode Island College
Saginaw Valley State University
St. Cloud State University
Salisbury University
San Jose State University
Sonoma State University
South Carolina State University
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southern Connecticut State University
Southern University and A&M College
Southern University system
Stephen F. Austin State University
Stockton University
State University of New York (Buffalo State University, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Polytechnic Institute)
Tarleton State University
Temple University
Tennessee Board of Regents
Tennessee State University
Texas A&M University (the system office, Kingsville)
Texas Southern University
Texas Woman’s University
Troy University
University of Alabama (Birmingham, Huntsville, the system office)
University of Alaska (Anchorage, Fairbanks)
University of Arkansas (Little Rock, the system office)
University of Baltimore
University of California (Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, the system office)
University of Central Oklahoma
University of Cincinnati
University of Delaware
University of Florida
University of Hawaii (Hilo, Manoa, the system office)
University of Houston (Clear Lake, the system office)
University of Idaho
University of Maine
University of Maryland at College Park
University of Michigan (Dearborn, Flint)
University of Minnesota (Duluth, Twin Cities)
University of Mississippi
University of Missouri system office
University of Nebraska at Kearney
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
University of New Orleans
University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, Wilmington, the system office)
University of Northern Colorado
University of Northern Iowa
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Alabama
University of South Florida
University of Southern Maine
University of Southern Mississippi
University of the District of Columbia
University of Texas (Permian Basin, Tyler, the system office)
University of Toledo
University of Vermont
University of Wisconsin (Green Bay, La Crosse, Milwaukee, River Falls, Stevens Point, Superior)
Virginia State University
Washburn University
Washington State University
West Texas A&M University
West Virginia State University
Western Carolina University
Western Illinois University
Western Kentucky University
Western Washington University
William Paterson University of New Jersey
Winston-Salem State University
Winthrop University
Wright State University
Youngstown State University

Compensation Components

Total pay: Total compensation reflects the summed values of “base pay,” “bonus pay,” “other,” and “benefits.”

Base pay: The value of the total base compensation earned by the employee.

Bonus pay: The value of all bonuses and incentive compensation earned by the employee.

Other: This includes deferred compensation paid out in the surveyed calendar year, severance pay, nonpayroll compensation, and other reportable compensation not covered by the above categories.

Benefits: This reflects the value of nontaxable benefits, including health and medical benefits, life insurance, housing provided by an employer, personal legal and financial services, dependent care, adoption assistance, tuition assistance, and cafeteria plans.

A version of this article appeared in the August 15, 2025, issue.

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Correction (Aug. 27, 2024, 6:00 p.m.): The value of benefits for Gregory Washington of George Mason U. were submitted incorrectly by the institution. They have been corrected and his total compensation has been adjusted to reflect the correct value.

Correction (Aug. 28, 2024, 11:39 a.m.): U. of North Carolina at Charlotte pay data was incorrectly omitted. This has been corrected.

Correction (Sep. 6, 2024, 4:17 p.m.): Auburn U.'s submission was not available at time of publication, but has now been added.

Correction (Sep. 13, 2024, 3:42 p.m.): The values for base salary and "other" pay for Marlene Tromp of Boise State U. were submitted incorrectly by the institution. They have been corrected and her total compensation has been adjusted to reflect the correct value. The submission for Rutgers U. at New Brunswick was not available at time of publication, but has now been added.