Sally Mason ranks in top 40 nationally in college pay study

IOWA CITY -- University of Iowa President Sally Mason ranked in the top 40 nationally among public university presidents for her total compensation in Fiscal Year 2012, according to a new annual study from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

One spot on the study lists Mason as 38th for pay, and another spot on the study lists her at 39th.

Mason's total compensation last year is listed at $633,350 in the study, with her base salary at $483,600. The rest of her pay comes from a deferred compensation package and retirement benefits.

Former Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy, who stepped down during 2011-12, ranked No. 179 on the list (though another chart lists him at 178th) with total compensation of $314,722.

Geoffroy's successor at ISU, President Steven Leath, ranks 186th on the list, with total compensation of $294,554. A second chart listed him at 185th.

The median total compensation for public college leaders rose to $441,392, an increase of 4.7 percent from 2010-11, the Chronicle reported. Four public college presidents earned more than $1 million last year, according to the analysis.

Graham Spanier, former Penn State University president, ranked first for total compensation in Fiscal Year 2012, at $2.9 million. Spanier, who was fired in 2011 in connection with a child-sex-abuse scandal, received most of his money in severance pay and deferred compensation, the publication reported.

The public university president with the highest base salary is E. Gordon Gee, at Ohio State University, who earned a base pay of $830,439 and total compensation of $1.9 million in Fiscal 2012.

The Chronicle study ranked the total compensation received in Fiscal 2012 by 212 chief executives at 191 public universities and systems.