Princeton University’s endowment posted a 3.1 percent return for fiscal year 2012, coming in third among the seven Ivy League Schools that have reported their 2012 investment earnings so far.

Princeton’s endowment — which totaled $17 billion as of June 30 — dropped roughly $100 million in value in part because of the 5.6 percent increase in the university’s financial aid budget, Princeton reported Friday. The university’s 2012 spending rate was 4.4 percent of the endowment’s market value and is expected to reach 4.7 percent in fiscal year 2013.

Among the seven Ivy League schools that have released their endowment figures, Dartmouth College has come out on top, boasting a 5.8 percent return. Yale’s endowment posted a 4.7 percent return, while the remaining Ivy League schools have posted returns under 3 percent. Harvard’s endowment posted a 0.05 percent loss.

Cornell University has not yet released its endowment figures.