Via the Chronicle of Higher Education:

“The Chronicle‘s executive-compensation package includes the latest data on more than 1,200 chief executives at more than 600 private colleges from 2008-14 and nearly 250 public universities and systems from 2010-16. Hover over bars to show total compensation as well as pay components including base, bonus and retirement. Click bars to see details including other top-paid college employees, how presidents compare with their peers, and how presidential pay looks in context to their institution’s expenses, tuitions and pay for professors.”

Here is a look at the top compensated college presidents:

Richest College Presidents

These numbers might be staggering, but they are actually down considerably from recent years.

In 2010, for example, former Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey took home a whopping $3.05 million as president of New School in New York City, Forbes reported at the time. Several other presidents earned annual packages in excess of $2 million that year.

The Chronicle’s latest figures breakdown salaries into four categories: total compensation, base pay, bonus pay, and other pay. (Just hover over the graphic in the article  to get the summary.)

Eight of the presidents in the top ten had six-figure bonuses. William H. McRaven, president of the University of Texas System, claimed the biggest bonus: $300,000, one-fourth of his base pay.  

According to the Federal Reserve, median income of an American household was $56,516 in 2015.

According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Americans with doctorates earn income of roughly $81,400. The average for an advanced degree is $72,824.