Liberty University president salary and executive pay
Liberty University paid its president, Dr Dondi Costin, $1,127,660 for the fiscal year ending June 2025. On the return for the fiscal year ending June 2024, the chancellor was Pastor Jonathan Falwell, paid $834,500. Total revenue on that return was $1,939,920,591, up 7.6% from $1,802,305,808 for the fiscal year ending June 2024. Liberty University ranks 93rd of 137 universities on this site by president's pay. Liberty University has 4 Form 990 returns on record, for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025.
Last updated from IRS e-file data. EIN 54-0946734, Lynchburg, VA.
President, fiscal year ending June 2025
$1,127,660
Also listed with a president, chancellor or chief executive title on this filing: Rev Jonathan Falwell (Trustee/Chancellor), $554,655.
Highest-paid person, fiscal year ending June 2025
$9,781,223Mr Jerry Falwell JrFormer Trustee/Officer
- Total revenue
- $1,939,920,591
- Pay vs. peers
- Higher than 16%
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025, IRS object ID 202621349349312962.View the filing
Peers: the 131 other universities on this site. Ranked 110th of 132 by top pay as a share of revenue. Pay is 0.06% of revenue, our calculation from the same return. Revenue is Part I, line 12; peers are compared on their latest full-year returns.
Highest-paid people on the latest return
On the latest return, 13 people were paid more than $500,000, 5 of them more than $1 million.
| Name and title | Total |
|---|---|
| Mr Jerry Falwell JrFormer Trustee/Officer | $9,781,223 |
| Mr James ChadwellHead Football Coach | $5,052,103 |
| Mr Ritchie McKayHead Basketball Coach | $1,681,228 |
| Dr Dondi Costin President Trustee/President | $1,127,660 |
| Mr Ian McCawVP & Director of Athletics | $1,016,907 |
Also paid on the latest return: Dr Robert Ritz (Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer), $727,495; Dr Charles Latham (Provider, Collaborative Health Partners, LLC), $695,499; Dr Ronald Kennedy (EVP for Enrollment Management & Marketing), $636,108; Mr Shawn Crawford (CEO, Collaborative Health Partners, LLC), $573,524; Rev Jonathan Falwell (Trustee/Chancellor), $554,655; Dr Scott Hicks (Provost and Chief Academic Officer), $550,031; Mr William Korn (Assistant Coach, Football), $545,699; Mr David Corry (General Counsel/Secretary), $515,751; Mr John Gauger (Chief Information Officer and EVP of Analytics), $467,695; Mrs Cindy Gaebe (SVP of Finance and Chief Investment Officer), $432,539; Dr Jerry Prevo (Trustee/President Emeritus), $428,280; Mr Daniel Deter (SVP of Construction and Facilities Management), $409,515; Mr Steve Foster (EVP of Human Resources), $394,598; Dr Lawrence Hine (SVP of Student Affairs), $349,275; Mr Charles Spence (Former Key Employee), $330,199; and 19 more.
Also listed in Part VII of the latest return, with no pay reported: Dr David Rhodenhizer (Trustee), Dr Don Crain (Trustee), Dr Dwight Reighard (Trustee), Dr Harold Rawlings (Trustee), Dr Jack Graham (Trustee), Dr James Scroggins IV (Trustee), Dr Jeannie Rivers (Trustee), Dr Jerry Vines (Trustee), Evangelist William F Graham IV (Trustee/Vice Chairman), Mr Chris Rhodenhizer (Trustee), Mr David Rice (Trustee), Mr Galen Peel Sr (Trustee), Mr Jeffery S Yager (Trustee), Mr Jeffrey F Benson (Trustee), Mr John Heath (Trustee), Mr Richard Osborne (Trustee), Mr William Tinney (Trustee), Mrs Gaye Overton Benson (Trustee), Ms Angela Jordan (Trustee).
President's pay by year
Each row is the president on that year's return.
| Fiscal year ending | Name and title | Total | Revenue | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | Dr Dondi Costin President Trustee/President | $1,127,660 | $1,939,920,591 | Filing |
| Jun 2024 | Pastor Jonathan Falwell Chancellor TRUSTEE/CHANCELLOR | $834,500 | $1,802,305,808 | Filing |
| Jun 2023 | Dr Jerry Prevo President Trustee/President | $1,024,218 | $1,565,676,548 | Filing |
| Jun 2022 | Dr Jerry Prevo President Trustee/President | $1,048,277 | $1,594,106,664 | Filing |
How this pay was reported
The parts of each total, as reported on the return for the fiscal year ending June 2025.
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025, IRS object ID 202621349349312962.View the filing
| Part VII | Schedule J | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and title | From org | Other | Base | Bonus | Other | Deferred | Nontaxable | Total |
| Mr Jerry Falwell Jr*Former Trustee/Officer | $9,781,223 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $9,781,223 | $0 | $0 | $9,781,223 |
| Mr James ChadwellHead Football Coach | $4,998,651 | $53,452 | $4,488,831 | $350,000 | $159,820 | $13,125 | $40,327 | $5,052,103 |
| Mr Ritchie McKayHead Basketball Coach | $1,612,564 | $68,664 | $1,523,856 | $27,579 | $61,129 | $30,625 | $38,039 | $1,681,228 |
| Dr Dondi CostinTrustee/President | $1,095,435 | $32,225 | $1,065,000 | $0 | $30,435 | $30,358 | $1,867 | $1,127,660 |
| Mr Ian McCawVP & Director of Athletics | $955,806 | $61,101 | $827,966 | $100,000 | $27,840 | $30,450 | $30,651 | $1,016,907 |
These figures come from Liberty University's Form 990 returns, as the IRS publishes them. The methodology page explains how they're chosen. To report an error, email corrections@ceopaycheck.com.
How Liberty University compares
Ranked 93rd of 137 universities by president's pay.
- Previous in this ranking: 92nd, Belmont University, $1,135,264
- Next in this ranking: 94th, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, $1,122,817
Closest in revenue among the universities on this site:
Tulane University$2,851,000 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Syracuse University$1,845,442 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Grand Canyon University$799,495 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Boston College$0 (President), fiscal year ending May 2025
Temple University$1,120,249 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Common questions
Dr Dondi Costin (Trustee/President) was paid $1,127,660 for the fiscal year ending June 2025: $1,095,435 from Liberty University and $32,225 in other compensation (Part VII columns D and F).
The highest-paid person on the latest return was Mr Jerry Falwell Jr (Former Trustee/Officer), at $9,781,223. That is $8,653,563 more than the president, Dr Dondi Costin.
Liberty University paid its president, Dr Dondi Costin, $1,127,660 for the fiscal year ending June 2025. On the return for the fiscal year ending June 2024, the chancellor was Pastor Jonathan Falwell, paid $834,500. The earliest return on record is for the fiscal year ending June 2022, when the president was Dr Jerry Prevo, paid $1,048,277. By fiscal year end: June 2022, $1,048,277 (Dr Jerry Prevo); June 2023, $1,024,218; June 2024, $834,500 (Pastor Jonathan Falwell); June 2025, $1,127,660 (Dr Dondi Costin).
Liberty University's return for the fiscal year ending June 2025 reports total expenses of $1,528,685,670 and total revenue of $1,939,920,591 (Part I, lines 18 and 12), so revenue exceeded expenses by $411,234,921. Expenses were $1,456,869,886 for the fiscal year ending June 2024, so they rose 4.9%. The president's pay of $1,127,660 equals 0.07% of expenses, our calculation.
From the 4 Form 990 returns Liberty University filed with the IRS for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025. The latest full-year return was filed on May 14, 2026. Schedule J of the fiscal year ending June 2025 return breaks down pay for all 5 people in the pay breakdown above.