With a 23.6 percent return on its investments for fiscal year 2011, Columbia has bested its peer institutions in the annual race for top endowment growth.

Made public on Thursday, Columbia’s endowment return beats the 21.9 percent seen by Yale and Princeton. As of June 30, Columbia’s endowment was valued at $7.8 billion, giving it the fourth largest endowment in the Ivy League — behind Harvard, Yale and Princeton.

“The dedicated professionals and board of our investment management company have helped ensure that we maintain Columbia’s forward momentum in both academic initiatives and long-term development,” Columbia President Lee Bollinger said according to the Columbia Spectator.

The news follows a string of announcements this fall of impressive performances by Ivy Leagues endowments. It is the second year in a row of positive growth for the endowments, after the massive losses suffered in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Brown University is the only Ivy League school that not has reported its endowment performance for fiscal year 2011.