Trade Like Harvard University

Parents of college-bound students are constantly being hit with the news that the cost of higher education is rising faster than the rate of inflation. So how are colleges doing?

You would think that universities would have the best minds working on their investments. Perhaps yet another testament to the unpredictability and volatility of the current market environment, it was recently announced that the Harvard Endowment Fund, the largest endowment of all universities, lost $8 billion during the first few months of the school year.

Stockpickr.com tracks the endowment funds of major universities, including Harvard Management Company, an investment arm of the Harvard University's Endowment Fund. Although the endowment has recently taken a hit along with most mutual funds and hedge funds, it had reported an average annual return of 21% from 1990 to 2005.

To read more, visit Stockpickr.com.