Growth in median salaries for college and university administrators has continued to decline, according to an annual survey by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.

Median salaries for the 2003-4 academic year grew only by 2.5 percent over the previous year, the report found. Last year's growth was 3.5 percent over the previous year, and the 2001-2 increase was 4.0 percent.

For the seventh consecutive year, the median salary increase surpassed the rate of inflation, but only by a slight amount this year. The Consumer Price Index in September 2003 was 2.3 percent higher than at the same time in 2002. The association asked institutions to report administrators' salaries as of September 15.

In announcing the survey's findings, the association said that the downward trend reflects the tight economic conditions of the past few years. Results were based upon a salary analysis of 173 positions at 1,379 institutions.

Median salary increases, according to the report, for various types of colleges and universities were:

3 percent, down from 3.7 percent in 2002-3 and 4.0 percent in 2001-2, at private institutions.

1.7 percent, down from 3 percent in 2002-3 and 4 percent in 2001-2, at public institutions.

2 percent, down from 4 percent in 2002-3 and 4.2 percent in 2001-2, at specialized institutions, including law schools, medical schools, and visual and performing-arts colleges.

2.7 percent, down from 3.8 percent in 2002-3 and 4.0 percent in 2001-2, at community colleges.