<p>I’m surprised that no one so far has mentioned that many of the top schools on the list are in the midst of major fundraising drives. </p>
<p>Also, while most schools might rely on support from institutions, alum influence is still the main driving force for donations. It would be a serious mistake to assume that alums only account for 26% of an average school’s fundraising amount. Institutions and corporations are often influenced by alums of the recipient school. </p>
<p>Berkeley is a great example of a school that has raised an unusually high amount of money this year through alum support in a fundraising effort. It has no med school, but has very dedicated alum for a public school. 65% of its donations come from alum compared to 5% or so at schools such as UC Davis.</p>