Voluntary contributions to the University totaled $125 million during the 2004 fiscal year, a decline of more than $100 million from the previous year, according to a report released last week by the Council for Aid to Education.
Princeton ranked 32nd among all surveyed institutions and 16th among private universities. Last year, Princeton ranked 17th overall.
Vice President for Development Brian McDonald '83 said he was "very satisfied" with the University's ranking because universities naturally fluctuate substantially on the list based on donations that he called "lumpy."
Single large gifts that come some years but not others influence positions to a large degree, McDonald said, explaining that the $227 million raised during the 2003 fiscal year was unusually high. He noted that while the University is not currently engaged in a major fundraising campaign, many of the institutions higher on the list are.
Overall, American colleges and universities raised $24.4 billion in voluntary support in the 2004 fiscal year, up about 3 percent from 2003.
Harvard topped the rankings this year with a total of $540 million, followed by Stanford University with $524 million, Cornell University with $386 million and the University of Pennsylvania with $333 million.
Other universities in the top 10 were University of Southern California, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, MIT, Yale and the University of California at Los Angeles, which was first among public institutions.
Annual Giving Chair Frederick Strobel '74 attributed the University's seemingly low position to its smaller size as well as its smaller number of graduate and professional offerings as compared to many peers, including virtually all of those ranked higher.
"Looking at absolute dollars, Princeton is not going to be the highest in the country," Strobel said. "It is one thing to look at in absolute dollars, and another to look at in proportion to the number of students."
Strobel also noted that, while most alumni donations at the University have traditionally come from former undergraduates, donations from graduate students are on the rise.
Nearly half the contributions came from individual donors, according to the study. While alumni giving remained the leading source for individual contributions, it increased by only 2 percent from the previous year. Non-alumni donations rose by 21.5 percent.
While personal giving rose substantially, corporate giving rose by only 3.5 percent and foundational giving declined 6.1 percent, the report said.
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