Survey: U of M's Kaler ranks 30th in pay among peers

A survey of salaries and benefits for public college leaders shows that the University of Minnesota's president, Eric Kaler, is paid well above the national average among his counterparts.

The report, by the Chronicle of Higher Education, compares pay for more than 230 public college and university leaders. Kaler is paid $610,000 a year. The national average is $428,000.

Kaler ranked 30th in overall compensation last year among public higher-education chiefs, according to the recently released report. His total pay puts him in the top half of presidents of the 14 Big Ten schools. And he is 10th-highest paid among presidents of state flagship universities across the country.

Minnesota State Colleges & Universities Chancellor Steven Rosenstone, who received a base pay of about $380,000 last year, ranked 122nd. Rosenstone's compensation also includes $58,000 for housing and personal expenses.

The survey also found that at more than half of the schools, the president was not the highest-paid person on campus. In Minnesota, Gophers head football coach Jerry Kill was paid about $2 million last season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.