University of Chicago

What it reported doing in 2024

Research: University of Chicago faculty cross traditional disciplinary boundaries to transform understandings in business, economics, history, law, literature, religion, physics, chemistry and biology and medicine, among other fields. In pursuit of these research endeavors, during fiscal year 2024-2025 the University was awarded a total of $811 million in research funding from federal agencies, non-federal government entities, corporations, foundations, and other sources. This fiscal year $549 million was expended from federal government sponsors of research, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Science Foundation providing the largest amounts of funding. Foundation research sponsorship awards totaled $109 million, followed by corporate research sponsorship of $104 million. The University also conducts scientific research in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, owned by the United States Government and operated by the University through a disregarded entity, under the terms of a cost reimbursement contract with the U.S. Department of Energy. Argonne is a multi-purpose science laboratory with a $1,109 million annual budget and approximately 4,754 employees. Program Service research expenditures were $657 million and are included in the research program service expense amount, as is required for a disregarded entity. In addition, Fermi Research Alliance, LLC, an entity jointly owned by the University and Universities Research Association Inc., operates Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory ("Fermilab") for the U.S. Department of Energy. Fermilab is the nation's preeminent center for high-energy physics and an international center for scientific research in elementary particle physics and astrophysics. Fermilab has a $736 million annual budget and approximately 2,024 employees.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 87.6%; rating input score 88
• Program expense ratio: 84.1%; rating input score 84
• Fundraising efficiency: $39.13 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Fail
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Fail
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 91.8%; rating input score 92; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 1%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.84; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.43; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0.6%; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings