In 2023, President Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 was paid $3.1 million, a noticeable 74% increase from her 2022 total compensation. Some students have expressed anger toward this figure — understandably so. With talks of budget deficits and freezes over the past few years, it’s easy to conflate Paxson’s salary with the University’s financial battles. While the optics aren’t great, the University’s finances tell a bit of a different story about Paxson’s salary — that it’s actually quite fair.
Paxson’s salary, like the salaries of every other executive at Brown, comes from the University’s operating expenses portion of total expenses. While on paper this figure may seem extremely high, it is a tiny drop in the total bucket of staff compensation. In 2023, Brown reported a total of $738 million in “Salaries, other compensation, employee benefits” — Paxson’s salary makes up less than half a percent of this portion.
Paxson was the second highest-paid Ivy League President in 2023. However, the figures are not that far off from peer institutions. Yale’s President was compensated $2.5 million, Columbia’s was paid $3.5 million. Paxson’s compensation is certainly higher than some universities, but it is not an outlier.
A reasonable gripe — should it be true — would be an increase in Paxson’s compensation amid a budget deficit. Given that her salary was reported in the same school year that saw discussions about the deficit, the coverage might make it seem as though they took place at the same time — but they didn’t. Paxson took her $3.1 million payday in 2023. But the University did not begin publicly discussing a budget deficit until May 2024. The deficit’s main drivers were increases in financial aid and staff salaries. However, through Paxson’s financial health initiative, the University was able to end fiscal year 2025 with a $2.6 million budget surplus. Part of the University’s approach to dealing with the deficit involved Paxson taking a 10% pay cut. The great financial comeback occurred in FY25, while Paxson’s $3.1 million pay day was in 2023. While the exact figure will not be known for a year or two after the IRS releases the records, the act demonstrates Paxson’s commitment to Brown’s finances.
I don’t agree with every decision Paxson has made during my time at Brown, but to say she is not an accomplished and effective president who has earned her steep salary is incorrect. Paxson was able to calmly manage Main Green protests and keep the University out of the national spotlight while the presidents of Columbia, Harvard and Penn were all forced to resign after unfortunate showings in a congressional hearing.
More recently, Paxson managed to restore Brown’s federal research grants through a deal with the White House that favored Brown, protecting the University from federal oversight and championing academic freedom. Paxson’s two-year term extension was unanimously approved by the Corporation, demonstrating their confidence in her, as well.
Brown may hold nonprofit status, but this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t treat the leaders of the University — especially the president — as a volunteer position of any sort. Though her salary may be one of the highest of Brown’s staff, Paxson’s decision to take a salary cut and continue to serve as Brown’s president even after a tumultuous past year in the national spotlight illustrates her unwavering dedication to seeing Brown through the storm.
Batisse Manhardt ’26 can be reached at batisse_manhardt@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other columns to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
