Cornell University announced that its endowment earned a 16.9% return in the 2026 fiscal year, with assets rising to $13.6 billion at the end of June, up from $11.8 billion a year earlier.
“In FY26, the endowment contributed $494 million to financial aid, research, academic programs, faculty salaries and facilities expenses that would otherwise be funded by sources like tuition,” Cornell CFO Christopher Cowen and CIO Kenneth Miranda said in a joint statement. “Cornell enrolls more undergraduates than other Ivy League schools, and its endowment is significantly smaller than many peer institutions on a per student basis.”
The endowment returned 12.3% in fiscal 2025, 8.7% in fiscal 2024 and 3.6% in 2023.
Cornell’s returns came in a strong period—July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026—in which the U.S. equity market, as measured by performance of the S&P 500 index, rose by more than 20%. In addition, several university endowments also enjoyed the windfall from the SpaceX initial public offering and the growth of the artificial intelligence investment theme, with performance captured through their venture capital and private equity managers.
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Cornell Endowment Returns 12.3% in Fiscal 2025, Second Among Ivies |
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Harvard Endowment Returns 27.1% in FY 2026 |
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Yale Endowment Delivers 26.3% Investment Return for FY 2026 |
Tags: Cornell University, Endowments