The Rotunda at the University of Virginia. (Sarah Vogelsong / Virginia Mercury)
Surpassing $1 million, University of Virginia Executive Vice President of Health Affairs Craig Kent has the highest reported salary among executive officers in Virginia higher education, at $1,097,300.
Since 2019, colleges and universities in the commonwealth have been required by law to report the salary of any executive officer whose compensation exceeds a limit laid out in the state budget for what the chief executive officer is allowed to earn. The reports are due every year by Sept. 1.
The Mercury reviewed data from 17 colleges and universities that was either included in the state-mandated reports or provided upon request. That included information from the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, William & Mary, UVA-Wise, Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, James Madison University, Radford University, Christopher Newport University, University of Mary Washington, Virginia Military Institute, Radford University, George Mason University, Longwood University, Virginia State University and Richard Bland College.
Of the compensation reported, the University of Virginia has some of the highest salaries, although Virginia Tech’s athletic director, Whit Babcock, received the second-highest salary, earning $975,559.
Outside of the provost position, some of the top earners are responsible for athletics, health and institutional advancement.
University of Virginia Provost Ian Baucom, who also holds the title of executive president, holds the top salary among Virginia provosts, receiving $766,500, according to the reports. Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech have the next highest-paid provosts.
Virginia Tech set the bar for top-earning athletic directors in the commonwealth, followed by the University of Virginia, which pays its vice president of intercollegiate athletics $638,144.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to include information from James Madison and Radford universities, which were omitted from an earlier version of this story. James Madison pays the third highest salary for a director of athletics at $325,238.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury
September 25, 2023
by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury
September 25, 2023
Surpassing $1 million, University of Virginia Executive Vice President of Health Affairs Craig Kent has the highest reported salary among executive officers in Virginia higher education, at $1,097,300.
Since 2019, colleges and universities in the commonwealth have been required by law to report the salary of any executive officer whose compensation exceeds a limit laid out in the state budget for what the chief executive officer is allowed to earn. The reports are due every year by Sept. 1.
The Mercury reviewed data from 17 colleges and universities that was either included in the state-mandated reports or provided upon request. That included information from the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, William & Mary, UVA-Wise, Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, James Madison University, Radford University, Christopher Newport University, University of Mary Washington, Virginia Military Institute, Radford University, George Mason University, Longwood University, Virginia State University and Richard Bland College.
Of the compensation reported, the University of Virginia has some of the highest salaries, although Virginia Tech’s athletic director, Whit Babcock, received the second-highest salary, earning $975,559.
Outside of the provost position, some of the top earners are responsible for athletics, health and institutional advancement.
University of Virginia Provost Ian Baucom, who also holds the title of executive president, holds the top salary among Virginia provosts, receiving $766,500, according to the reports. Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech have the next highest-paid provosts.
Virginia Tech set the bar for top-earning athletic directors in the commonwealth, followed by the University of Virginia, which pays its vice president of intercollegiate athletics $638,144.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to include information from James Madison and Radford universities, which were omitted from an earlier version of this story. James Madison pays the third highest salary for a director of athletics at $325,238.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sarah Vogelsong for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and Twitter.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
Nathaniel is an award-winning journalist who’s been covering news across the country since 2007, including politics at The Loudoun Times-Mirror and The Northern Neck News in Virginia as well as sports for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. He has also hosted podcasts, worked as a television analyst for Spectrum Sports, and appeared as a panelist for conferences and educational programs. A graduate of Bowie State University, Nathaniel grew up in Hawaii and the United Kingdom as a military brat. Five things he must have before leaving home: his cellphone, Black Panther water bottle, hand sanitizer, wedding ring and Philadelphia Eagles keychain.
DEMOCRACY TOOLKIT
© Virginia Mercury, 2023
Nonprofit. Nonpartisan. No paywalls. Fair and tough reporting on the policy and politics that affect all of us is more important than ever. The Mercury brings you coverage of the commonwealth’s biggest issues from a team of veteran Virginia journalists. View our Republishing Guidelines.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site.