Northeastern University president’s compensation exceeds $3 million

The highest-paid college president in Massachusetts now has compensation exceeding $3 million, records show.

Joseph Aoun, president of Northeastern University, has long been one of the state’s highest-paid college leaders, but new data shows his income has crossed an unprecedented threshold. Aoun, who took over as president in 2006, reported total compensation of $3,045,428 for fiscal year 2025, according to the report. Boston Business Journal.

In recent years, Aoun’s salaries have increased significantly. From FY21 to FY22, his total compensation increased sharply by 113 percent from $1.27 million to $2.7 million, according to Huntington NewsNortheastern’s independent student newspaper.

This compensation increase is primarily due to Aoun collecting approximately $700,000 in previously deferred compensation and $550,000 in bonuses and incentives. The deferred compensation package was responsible for Aoun’s similarly high compensation of $3,027,684 in fiscal year 2012. Huntington News I mentioned.

Aoun’s earnings exceed the income of Sally Kornbluth, the second-highest-paid university president, by about $1 million. MIT President Kornbluth reported total compensation of $2,151,788 for FY25, Boston Business Journal I mentioned.

Kornbluth and Aoun were the only presidents whose total compensation exceeded $2 million, but seven others reported more than $1 million in annual income. These presidents and their reported compensation are as follows:

• melissa gilliam, Boston University: $1,704,300
• Alan Garber, Harvard University: $1,642,838
• Sunil Kumar, Tufts University: $1,356,483
• Paula Johnson, Wellesley College: $1,364,215
• Chris Hobby, Merrimack College: $1,231,390
• any. Labrent Crete, Bentley University: $1,148,725
• Jay Bernhardt, Emerson College: $1,050,166

Maud Mandel, of Williams College; Marissa Kelly, of Suffolk University; Mark Thompson, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Lynn Perry Wooten of Simmons University also reported significantly higher compensation. In fiscal year 2025, they received $992,690, $964,487, $825,775, and $657,025, respectively, according to Boston Business Journal.