Salaries & Wages are not the only component of Total Staff Costs (which account for 73% of GOE at the average Top 25 university). On top of the Salaries & Wages component are Staff Benefits, which include pension and health plans (see HERE for an overview – pages 14-15).
This is a high-cost area – over $140 million at the average Top 25 university in 2023. It is another area in which cost levels are increasing at an alarming and unsustainable rate.
The chart below shows the change across the Top 25 since 2001 in “Real Dollars” (adjusted for both inflation and enrollment). Positive values denote increases exceeding inflation and enrollment combined:
5A1
Download this table (Opens in new tab)
Top 25 Change Overview (Inflation-adjusted):
- Staff Benefits expenditure university-wide averaged $140 million in 2023 – up 153% since 2001 (32% since 2010).
- Staff Benefits expenditure in Instruction averaged $73 million in 2023 – up 139% since 2001 (26% since 2010).
- Staff Benefits expenditure in Central Admin averaged $17 million in 2023 – up 204% since 2001 (48% since 2010).
- Staff Benefits expenditure in General Operating averaged $110 million in 2023 – up 148% since 2001 (30% since 2010).
To add perspective to the above numbers, average enrollment has increased by 58% since 2001 (21% since 2010). Expenditure increases higher than that represent REAL increases – larger than inflation and enrollment combined.
It is insightful to evaluate the cost of Staff Benefits as a percentage of Salaries & Wages, and especially to see some disparities. Across the Top 25 in 2023 the benefits rates were:
- University-wide – 19.9%
- General Operating – 21.1%.
- Instruction – 20.2%
- Central Administration – 23.9%
Rankings Tables
The underlying methodology for the tables below can be seen HERE. Each table opens in a new tab.
5 B) 2023 Efficiency Rankings – TOP 50
5 C) 2023 Relative Cost Impact vs 2020 – TOP 50
5 D) 2023 Relative Cost Impact vs 2010 – TOP 25