U of M endowment plunges

The economic crisis caused the value of U of M's endowment to drop 24.2% between 2008 and 2009 -- the second biggest loss among Big Ten schools, according to this piece in The Minnesota Daily.

The biggest loser in the Big 10 was Northwestern, whose endowment dropped 24.8%.

Couldda-been-worse tidbit:

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While the University of Minnesota lost more than nearly all other Big Ten universities, it fared better than Northwestern and other large, private institutions.

"Those were the smart guys, I mean the really smart guys," Mason said, referring to Ivy League investment officers whose funds lost as much as 29.8 percent.

Couldda-done-better tidbit:

While the University’s losses were in line with those of institutions during this period, it will likely be behind them when fiscal year 2010 numbers come out because of the actions taken this year, Mason said.

After the University took money out of the stock market, the market began to trend upward. As a result, many universities will see endowment gains around 12 percent, while the University’s endowments are expected to grow by 6 percent.

Currently, the University is putting money back into the stock market.

 MPR's Tim Post has covered endowment drops before: here in 2008 and here in 2009.