GW ranked 72nd in the country among colleges and universities in fundraising last fiscal year, bringing in more than $80 million in donations, according to a ranking by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The $80 million figure is less than the $94 million The Hatchet reported GW took in during the last fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. Patricia Danver, a spokeswoman for the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, said the discrepancy “is a matter of philanthropic definitions and requested reporting information.”

The Chronicle report is based on “cash donations,” Danver said, while the development office considers the “total attainment” for the year – including cash donations, pledges, sponsored grants and planned gifts – when reporting its total fundraising haul.

Stanford University, Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University led the pack in the fundraising report, with Stanford taking in nearly $600 million last year and Harvard following close behind. Johns Hopkins University took in about $427 million. New York University, one of GW’s market basket schools, ranked eighth in the Chronicle’s report, raising just more than $349 million. Boston University, another similar school, ranked 69th, and brought in more than $85 million.

GW has generally lagged behind similar institutions in regard to fundraising, although University officials have been optimistic about the current rate of giving.

Last month, The Hatchet reported the University raised $40 million during the first half of the current fiscal year, a number on par with this time last year.

“We are confident that as the economy improves and we continue to tell the GW story that the trajectory will be upwards,” Danver said last month.