Todd points out that at this particular moment in history, the sciences are the quickest route to the top--the financial top, that is. Yale may foster geniuses in French literature, he says, but shining stars in the humanities are more likely to appear later in life, while math and science whiz kids have the opportunity to make it big and flashy before the age of 30. Although both universities are known for offering excellent overall academics, he says, Stanford's traditional strength in the sciences may mean its success is sometimes more apparent, earlier.

This adds another piece to the puzzle. Stanford may be able to capitalize on young alumni with deep pockets.

When TECH was announced in February, Stanford Tech Ventures Program assistant director Tina L Seelig told The Crimson that donors are attracted to Stanford's ties to start-ups.

"Stanford is very aware of the possible relationships with these companies," she said.

With a strong boost from Stanford donors--say, a capital campaign similar to that run by Harvard over the last six years--and strong markets, the gap between Stanford's $6 billion endowment and Harvard's $14.4 billion might narrow considerably.

In fact, last year's endowment figures in the Chronicle of Higher Education suggest Stanford's endowment is already ballooning. Despite ranking only fifth in endowment size--behind Harvard, the University of Texas system, Yale and Princeton--Stanford has the fastest rate of endowment growth, at a staggering 31.7 percent.

Its nearest competitor, fellow technology-oriented MIT, is listed with an endowment of $4.3 billion. Its endowment growth over the previous year is only 16.6 percent.