In the world of college endowments, the rich keep getting richer. : Brown University, Cornell University, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all reported robust returns for their endowment funds in the fiscal year ending in June on Thursday, with MIT leading the way with a blistering 55.5% return, followed by Brown at 51.5%, Cornell at 41.9% and Harvard at 33.6%. Cornell University posted its best endowment performance since the 1980s.