Salaries for private college presidents have hit more than $1 million for 23 private colleges across the country, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education..

Tony Pals, spokesperson at the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, said it is important to note the years the Chronicle of Higher Education derive their findings from.

“Many colleges have frozen salaries. [The college data] is from 2008, which is prior to the start of the recession,” Pals said.

Pals stressed the rising salaries do not negatively impact students’ tuition costs for private colleges. Net tuition, which is the published price of tuition minus grant aid and tax benefits, has dropped $1,000 for private colleges from five years ago, when adjusted for inflation.

There have been numerous studies conducted on college cost drivers, Pals said, and none of these studies point to presidential compensation being a major factor in driving up tuition costs.

According to Pals, presidential compensation makes up less than 1 percent of tuition costs and private colleges do pay their presidents more than public institutions.

While a number of private colleges have had presidents hit the $1 million salary marker, colleges and universities in the University of Wisconsin System do not hit near that mark.

For example, UW-Green Bay Chancellor Thomas Harden made $216,000 and UW-River Falls Chancellor Dean Van Galen made $200,000 in 2009, according to a UW System statement.

UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin receives the largest salary. When first appointed in 2008, her salary was $437,000 and nearly one quarter of her salary was underwritten with private financial resources. She receives the median salary of a chancellor of a large research university.

Pals acknowledged the job of the college president has changed throughout the years. He said the rising salary of the college president has to do with the skill set required to do the job well.

The pool of candidates who possess this skill set has decreased, so the salary increases to meet the demand for college presidents, Pals added.

According to Pals, there are a number of skills a college president needs to ensure a college or university runs smoothly, such as fundraising expertise, political savvy, negotiating and mediating skills, and the development and deliverance of the mission of the educational system to the students.

“Somebody who does a good job is worth a lot. There’s a lot to be addressed in today’s world to make a university successful. A chancellor has to be good at internal issues and external constituencies,” said Barry Gerhart, UW-Madison business professor.

According to Gerhart, other factors may draw potential candidates to the profession of college president and chancellor, including quality of faculty, prestige of institution and how much of a difference they can make on campus.

However, there are many factors that look to attract and keep people in the position of college president or chancellor, and salary is one of them.