Self-Made, Under 50, and Giving Back: Altrata Reveals the Rise of the Next-Gen Donors in University Alumni Report 2025

The report ranks universities across the globe on the number of ultra wealthy alumni. Altrata data also shows a 13% increase in the total ultra wealthy population from 2023 to 2024.

NEW YORK, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Altrata, the leader in intelligence on the wealthy and well-connected, releases University Alumni Report 2025, offering a powerful new perspective on the most influential graduates in the world. While rankings of ultra wealthy alumni dominate headlines, the report goes deeper—revealing how distinct alumni segments are reshaping advancement and fundraising strategies.

The report explores three groups of wealthy donors (those with $5m+ in net worth), including self-made tech entrepreneurs, mission-driven women, and wealthy Millennial and Gen Z graduates. With new data on professional focus, wealth creation patterns, and philanthropic tendencies, Altrata equips university development and marketing teams with the insight needed to build more targeted, data-driven engagement strategies.

Key Findings from the University Alumni Report 2025 include:

• A new generation of tech philanthropists: 95% of wealthy alumni in the tech sector, for whom education is among their top three philanthropic causes, have entirely made fortunes. One in five is under the age of 50, compared with just one in seven across all wealthy individuals.
• Banking and finance still dominate among younger donors: Despite common assumptions, banking and finance—not technology—is the top primary industry among Millennial and Gen Z wealthy graduates with a strong affinity for educational giving.
• Technology's growing influence: Among wealthy alumni who graduated in the past 20 years, technology is the primary industry for 10%, nearly double the share of those who graduated earlier.
• Women lean into mission-driven giving: Among wealthy female alumni with a strong affinity for educational giving, 25% are deeply involved in the nonprofit and social sector as their key industry focus—over four times the rate of their male counterparts.
• Global reach, local relevance: International institutions—including INSEAD, the University of Oxford, and the National University of Singapore—continue to be prominent as global hubs for influential alumni.

"These findings challenge a lot of assumptions about alumni giving—especially among younger generations," said Brian Alster, CEO of Altrata. Data-driven segmentation is no longer optional, it's a must. It's how institutions identify new donors, deepen relationships, and secure transformational support."

The report ranks the top 20 US universities by their estimated number of ultra high net worth (UHNW) alumni—those with a net worth exceeding $30 million.

Harvard University leads by a wide margin with an estimated 18,000 UHNW alumni, representing roughly 4% of the global ultra wealthy population. The University of Pennsylvania follows with an estimated 9,300, bolstered by the strength of its Wharton business school. Stanford University ranks third with an estimated 8,400 UHNW alumni, reflecting the impact of its strong focus on entrepreneurship, engineering, and innovation. These institutions offer unparalleled access to high-value alumni networks, with clear implications for advancement and strategic partnerships.

With the analysis on wealthy individuals and senior executives worldwide, Altrata's report goes beyond traditional alumni rankings to deliver actionable intelligence. For university development teams seeking to unlock new donor pipelines, strengthen corporate relationships, and future-proof fundraising strategies, this report is an essential resource.

Download the full report here.

About Altrata

Altrata provides essential intelligence and insight on business leaders, the global wealthy and well-connected. The leading commercial, philanthropic, and educational institutions depend on Altrata solutions to meet their growth objectives. Clients partner with Altrata to confidently engage with exceptional individuals and organizations, create meaningful relationships and seize strategic opportunities. 

Altrata's global dataset contains millions of individual profiles on the wealthy, senior decision makers, board members and C-suite leaders. Altrata offers actionable, accurate and comprehensive data maintained by a global team of in-house researchers committed to surfacing the right insight at the right time to drive positive business outcomes. Altrata is a definitive leader in global wealth intelligence, professional relationship mapping and affluent market dynamics. 

SOURCE Altrata