On Getting a Letter

Where is Harvard on the Princeton-versus-Columbia scale? In a previous post, we noted that Princeton and Columbia are in very different positions in terms of vulnerability to federal government pressure. Princeton doesn't have a medical school; Columbia does. Princeton is basically a relatively small but prestigious undergrad college with a grad program tacked on. Columbia is basically a large university that is top-heavy with graduate and professional programs with a college embedded in it. Harvard is closer to Columbia but is smaller in total enrollment. 

Columbia undergrads are about one-fourth of total enrollment. Harvard undergrads are also around a fourth. Princeton undergrads are three-fourths. If you are wondering about UC, in a sense it is like Princeton, with almost 8 out of 10 students as undergrads. But, of course, it dwarfs all three of them as a system, with something like 300,000 students in total. UC, as a public system, is potentially subject to what could be conflicting political pressures from the state versus the feds should it receive the kind of letter from the feds that was sent to Columbia and Harvard. As we have noted in earlier posts, in total, about a third of UC's operating budget comes from the feds in the form of research grants, hospital revenues, management fees, etc.

Princeton's endowment is around 11 times the size of its annual operating budget. Harvard's is around 8 times. Columbia's is over twice its operating budget. UC systemwide endowment is a bit over half of it operating budget, but that leaves out campus endowments. Still, even with campus endowments, you couldn't operate UC for a year based on endowment money alone. And as we have noted, endowments are made up of funds that are often earmarked for particular purposes.

Princeton is best equipped to say "no" to the feds (and seems to be doing it), Harvard less so - but we will see, Columbia - we have already seen. As for UC, yours truly suspects that the folks at UC's headquarters in Oakland, and in Murphy Hall at UCLA, are hoping we don't get a letter or letters such as the ones received by the Ivy League schools and have to find out what the Regents would do.