UW president No. 3 in nation for salary

University of Washington President Mark Emmert is the country's third-highest-paid leader of a public college.

A survey published Monday by The Chronicle of Higher Education showed that a dozen presidents at private universities earned $1 million or more annually, including benefits. Salaries at public universities remain a tier lower but also are on the rise, with eight presidents, including Emmert, earning $700,000 or more last year, six more than the year before, according to the annual survey.

The highest-paid public-university president listed in the survey was David Roselle of the University of Delaware, who received $874,687 in 2005-2006. Delaware considers itself a quasi-private institution, so those figures were the most recent. Roselle retired earlier this year.

He was followed by John Casteen III of the University of Virginia, with $753,672, and Emmert at $752,700. Emmert ranked third in the Chronicle survey last year, as well.

Presidential salaries are facing closer scrutiny at a time when college prices continue to rise well above the rate of inflation.

The survey reports salaries from private colleges for 2005-06, the latest year for which they are available. Figures for public colleges are for 2006-07.

Of the 12 presidents earning $1 million or more, only three remain at their current institutions.

Richard Freeland, who stepped down in August 2006 at Northeastern University, was identified as the highest-paid president, with $2,887,775 in total compensation, including $2,373,285 in benefits. James Gallagher, who stepped down at Philadelphia University, had $2,557,219 in total compensation.

Several presidents earned substantially more because of retirement bonuses or deferred compensation, including Benjamin Ladner, who received $4.3 million in pay and benefits in fiscal 2006 from American University. Ladner stepped down after revelations of excessive personal spending of university money, and most of his compensation came from severance and deferred payouts.

The highest-paid still-sitting president was William Brody at Johns Hopkins University, who received $1,938,024 in total compensation. Just under $1.5 million came in the form of salary from the university, including about $920,000 in deferred compensation.

Most college presidents don't earn nearly that much, but salaries at the most prestigious institutions are rising rapidly. At private research institutions, median pay is up 37 percent over the past five years to $528,105.

Emmert's pay reflects a $100,000 raise, which the Board of Regents awarded him last fall. He is paid more taxpayer money than any other public employee, including Gov. Christine Gregoire.

But, like the other highest-paid presidents at public universities with Division 1 athletic programs, Emmert does not earn as much as his school's football coach. Husky coach Tyrone Willingham makes almost twice as much as Emmert, though that money comes from private donations and revenue generated by the school's athletic program.

For the first time, the Chronicle also surveyed the salaries of community-college presidents.

At the largest community colleges and systems, median pay is about $250,000 -- compared with about $400,000 at the largest public four-year colleges.

However, some community-college presidents earned substantially more. The leader was Michael McCall of the Kentucky Community and Technical College system, receiving total compensation of about $611,000 on a base salary of $286,000.