Thirty-six presidents were paid more than $1 million each in 2009, the latest year for which figures were available, up from 33 the previous year.
Alfred H. Bloom, who led Swarthmore for 18 years until retiring in 2009, was paid $1.7 million that year, ranking him eighth among the presidents of private institutions nationwide. College officials said the figure was misleading, however, because it included retirement benefits and payments in lieu of sabbaticals.
The previous year, Bloom was paid $536,844, according to Suzanne Welsh, the college's treasurer and vice president of finance. "That figure is more indicative of his base salary," she said. The larger sum paid in 2009 reflected accrued salary and benefits for which the school had budgeted for years, she said.
University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann was paid $1.3 million, ranking her 20th in the nation, according to the survey.
Gutmann's pay has drawn criticism from students and members of Occupy Penn, an offshoot of the Wall Street protest group. In a letter last month to the student newspaper, the Daily Pennsylvanian, one Penn senior called Gutmann's salary a "disgrace."
University officials defended Gutmann's compensation and praised her work.
"In the view of the trustees, Amy Gutmann is the best university president in the country," said David L. Cohen, chairman of the board of trustees. He said her pay reflected her "exceptional performance" in leading the university and its health system, with an annual budget of more than $6 billion.
Drexel University officials had similar praise for Papadakis. In a statement, Drexel spokeswoman Niki Gianakaris called Papadakis "an innovative leader who transformed a struggling institution into a comprehensive, top-ranked national research university."
