With assets of $3.8 billion in 2019, the Endowment is one of the nation's largest 501(c)(3) private foundations.

How much is Duke University's endowment?

The performance boosted Duke's endowment to a record $12.7 billion for the year ended June 30, a $4.2 billion increase, the Durham, North Carolina-based school said in a statement Saturday.

How much is an endowment?

For many universities, this amount is approximately 5% of the endowment's total asset value. Some elite institutions, such as Harvard, have endowments that are worth billions of dollars, so this 5% amount can end up equaling a large sum of money.