What is the largest donation to Dartmouth?

The largest single donation to Dartmouth College is a more than $150 million bequest from the late Barbara and Glenn Britt (Tuck '72), designated primarily for undergraduate and Tuck School of Business financial aid, making it the largest scholarship gift in its history and enabling significant increases in aid for middle-income students. Another notable large gift was $100 million from an anonymous family in 2014 for interdisciplinary programs.

What is the largest donation ever given to a university?

Back in 2001, Intel cofounder Gordon Moore and his wife Betty set the record for the largest donation to an institute of higher education with a $600 million pledge to the California Institute of Technology, where Gordon Moore obtained his PhD.

How big is Dartmouth's endowment fund?

Dartmouth's endowment returns for 2025 lagged behind other Ivies at 10.8%. Columbia topped the Ivy League in terms of investment returns at 12.4%, while Dartmouth was the lowest of the eight. The endowment jumped from $8.3 to $9 billion, as reported to the Board of Trustees in their October meeting.

What is considered a large donation to a university?

We're not just talking about those who give in excess of $50,000. We're not even talking about those who have $1,000,000 to spare. No, we're talking about the major donors willing to part with $10,000,000 or more. That's the level of giving that gets the attention of prestigious admissions offices.

What famous person went to Dartmouth College?

Dartmouth College boasts notable alumni in diverse fields, including Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), writer; Shonda Rhimes, producer; Mindy Kaling, actress/writer; poets like Robert Frost; politicians such as Daniel Webster and Kirsten Gillibrand; and figures in business, science, and athletics, showcasing a wide-ranging impact from entertainment to public service and academia.
 

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Which billionaire gave Dartmouth graduates some out?

In this photo provided by University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, billionaire Robert Hale speaks at the graduation ceremony May 16, 2024, in Dartmouth, Mass. Hale gifted graduates at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth each with $1,000, but he asked them to donate $500.

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, referring to those from the highest income brackets, tend to attend elite universities like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale that consistently rank high in national and global lists, with some even having more students from the top 1% income bracket than the bottom 60% combined, according to The New York Times data. Top-ranked institutions like MIT, Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford are frequent top contenders in various 2026 rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Times Higher Education. 

Who is Harvard's biggest donor?

The largest single donation to Harvard University was $400 million from alumnus John A. Paulson in 2015, supporting the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). Other massive gifts include a $350 million donation from the Morningside Foundation (T.H. Chan family) for the School of Public Health in 2014, and significant pledges from Kenneth C. Griffin and Hansjörg Wyss, though Paulson's remains the largest single gift to date.
 

Did Billie Eilish donate $11.5 million?

Yes, Billie Eilish donated $11.5 million, but it came from her "Hit Me Hard and Soft" tour proceeds and was directed to The Changemaker Project to support climate and food justice initiatives, a move announced while she publicly challenged billionaires at a Wall Street Journal event in late 2025. The money largely came from increased ticket prices for "Changemaker" tickets and other tour-related funds, benefiting various environmental and social organizations, with some critics questioning the "performative" nature versus personal wealth donation.
 

Is Dartmouth or Cornell harder to get into?

Based on recent acceptance rates, Dartmouth is generally harder to get into than Cornell, with Dartmouth's rates often in the 5-6% range compared to Cornell's 8-9%, though both are highly selective Ivies. Cornell has a larger undergraduate body and more colleges, meaning more spots and a slightly higher overall acceptance rate, but specific Cornell colleges (like Engineering or Applied Sciences) are much tougher, making the "easiest" to get into a relative term. 

What is the richest Ivy League school?

Ranking of 2024 Ivy League Endowment Performance

1. Brown University: $7.2 Billion. ...
2. Columbia University: $14.8 Billion. ...
3. Cornell University: $10.7 Billion. ...
4. Harvard University: $53.2 Billion. ...
5. Princeton University: $34.1 Billion. ...
6. Yale University: $41.4 Billion. ...
7. Dartmouth College: $8.3 Billion.

What is the 120% rule for endowment?

The "120% rule" for endowments, common in South African financial products, limits additional contributions to prevent investors from easily bypassing the mandatory 5-year restriction period; if you invest more than 120% of the higher of your contributions from the previous two years, a new 5-year restriction period is triggered on the entire policy, making it less liquid. Essentially, it controls how much extra money you can add each year without restarting the lock-in period, encouraging disciplined, long-term saving. 

Did Bill Gates really donate $51 billion?

He gave away $51 billion. His plan? End world hunger. Bill Gates' mission to give away his fortune has reshaped the billionaire rankings—knocking him out of the top five and elevating his former Microsoft deputy, Steve Ballmer, into fifth place.

Who donated 102 billion dollars?

Tata's contributions were recognized posthumously, including being ranked first in the "Hurun Philanthropists of the Century" (2021) by total donations of $102.4 billion (in 2021 prices) with the start of his key endowments back in 1892.

What is the #1 most prestigious university in the world?

There's no single #1, as it depends on the ranking system, but Harvard University, MIT, Stanford, and Oxford/Cambridge consistently dominate, with Harvard often leading in reputation/general rankings (like U.S. News/CWUR) and MIT often topping QS, while Oxford leads THE rankings. These prestigious institutions are recognized globally for academic excellence, research, and influence.
 

Who is the biggest donor to Ivy League schools?

Qatar, oil-rich and with an estimated population of only 2.5 million, is the largest foreign donor — that we know about — to American universities, with at least $4.7 billion donated between 2001 and 2021.

Who is the largest donor to Yale?

Yale's largest single donor is Charles B. Johnson ('54), with a historic $250 million gift in 2013 for the expansion of Yale College, followed by significant contributions from others like the Broad Foundation ($100M) for the School of Management and Edward P. Bass ('68) for the Peabody Museum, with major gifts also from David Geffen and support for innovation from the Blavatnik Family Foundation, reflecting major philanthropic efforts for specific schools and initiatives. 

Does Mark Zuckerberg donate to Harvard?

Kingsley J. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Donation: $500 million to Harvard University The donation from the Facebook founder and his wife went toward an institute for artificial intelligence and neuroscience.

What is the easiest ivy to get into?

While all Ivy League schools are highly selective, Cornell University is generally considered the "easiest" to get into due to having the highest acceptance rate (around 8-9%), partly because it's the largest Ivy with diverse colleges, like the less competitive Agriculture and Life Sciences, though its engineering programs are tough. Dartmouth College and Brown University often follow as the next most accessible Ivies, while Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia are typically the most difficult, with lower acceptance rates. 

Where do most billionaires go to college?

American universities like Harvard, Stanford, and Penn lead in producing billionaire alumni. Most wealth comes from technology startups and entrepreneurial ventures (e.g., Microsoft, Google, DoorDash, Baidu).

What are the 63 hidden Ivies?

The 63 "Hidden Ivies" are a list of excellent, selective colleges outside the traditional Ivy League, known for strong academics, often with liberal arts focuses, broken down into Northeast (37), South (12), Midwest (11), and West (3) regions, including schools like Amherst, Williams, Carleton, Duke, Emory, Stanford, Pomona, and UChicago, offering Ivy-level education without the traditional Ivy League name. 

Is Dartmouth harder than Harvard?

Harvard is generally considered harder to get into due to its lower acceptance rate and higher average test scores, but Dartmouth is also extremely selective, known for rigorous academics and a unique, tight-knit campus culture, making the "harder" label subjective depending on what kind of challenge you mean (admissions vs. campus life/academics). While Harvard's admissions are statistically tougher, both are elite schools with demanding coursework, but Dartmouth's isolated setting and smaller size foster a different, more intense undergraduate experience compared to Harvard's urban environment. 

Did Meryl Streep go to Dartmouth?

She earned her MFA in drama from Yale in 1975. She also enrolled as a visiting student at Dartmouth College in 1970, and received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the college in 1981.

What celebrity gives the most to charity?

While pinpointing a single "most" generous is complex due to varied reporting, Oprah Winfrey is consistently cited as a top celebrity philanthropist, having donated hundreds of millions, possibly over $400M, through her foundation for education, women, and children. Other major givers include Michael Jackson, with $500M+ to various causes, and J.K. Rowling, who gave away so much she fell off the billionaire list.