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.

This story was reported and written by The Virginia Mercury

The Mercury reviewed data from 16 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, 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.

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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.

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Photo by {Virginia Mercury} 

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. 

College 3

James Madison University was omitted from an earlier version of this story. James Madison pays the third highest salary for an athletic director at $325,238.