Reviewing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Spending and Foreign Income at State Universities [February 2024]

The 6 state universities did not have a shared definition of what diversity, equity, and inclusion activities are, but there were some common themes. The universities provide a variety of DEI-related services and activities such as food pantries, support groups, and tutoring services to a wide range of students.  To determine how much universities spent on DEI-related activities, we asked the universities to report expenditures related to common DEI themes shared across the universities.  In the 2022-23 school year, universities reported spending about $45 million in DEI-related activities, of which, about $9 million was paid for with state funding. Nearly all of the $9 million universities reported spending in state funding was spent on salary and benefits for faculty and staff who engaged in DEI-related activities. Universities reported spending a small amount of state funding on DEI-related training and other non-personnel expenses like travel, software, and outreach programs. The universities DEI-related expenditures are self-reported and we have a limited ability to determine if they are accurate and complete. Last, the universities do not have consistent measures for determining whether DEI-related activities are effective for achieving their DEI goals.

Universities receive money from foreign sources for a few reasons including tuition and fees, gifts, and contractual services. In 2022-23, state universities reported receiving about $116 million in foreign contributions, but most ($111 million) was for tuition and fees. In the 2022-23 school year, universities reported receiving contributions from 170 countries but about half was from India and China. The universities foreign contributions are self-reported and we have a limited ability to determine if they are accurate and complete.