President Robert Shelton was ranked the 22nd-highest-paid public university president in the nation in an annual report released yesterday by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

With a total compensation package of $570,020 a year, Shelton was ranked below Arizona State University President Michael Crow, who earns $609,194 a year and came in No. 14.

Northern Arizona University President John Haeger makes an annual salary of $370,581 and did not make the list this year, said Anne Barton, spokeswoman for the Arizona Board of Regents, the governing body that sets the Arizona university presidents’ salaries.

“”NAU does not have a college of medicine, or a college of law,”” said Barton. “”They are a university which does a considerable amount of research, but not as much as the UA.””

Barton said presidential salaries are determined by a number of different factors, including size of the university and the responsibilities of each president.

Determining the salary of each president is “”not just apples and apples,”” Regent Dennis DeConcini said. “”Each are very different schools that have different amounts of students and different missions.””

Fred Boice, president-elect of the board of regents, said the regents are considering adopting an incentive package for the presidents based on their performance in boosting graduation rates and retention rates at their respective schools.

“”People like to be rewarded for their hard work, and serving as a university president is a 24/7 job,”” Boice said.

Two years ago, then-President Peter Likins came in No. 15 on the list with a total compensation package of $503,394. But since then, presidential salaries have risen across the nation. There has been a 53 percent increase in salaries of presidents who make more than $500,000, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

In recent years, the regents have started issuing three-year contracts for each university president, Barton said. The contracts determine the salary of each president until the date of expiration and differ each time they are renewed.

Shelton will continue to make the same amount in salary until his contract expires in 2009, Barton added.

“”When we were looking for a new president of the UA, we set Shelton’s salary as a competitive wage,”” Boice said. “”If you want the caliber of someone like Dr. Shelton or Michael Crow, that’s the price you’re going to have to pay.””

Shelton’s total compensation package includes $9,400 for a car, $45,000 for a house, $75,600 in deferred compensation and $20,020 in retirement pay.

Regent Ernest Calderon, treasurer for the board of regents, said that as the UA was flourishing in past decades, the UA president was paid more than any other in the state.

“”Now, ASU is much bigger than UA, and UA is much bigger than NAU,”” Calderon said.

Some of the determination in distinguishing salaries also comes as result of seniority, Calderon said.

Crow has been the president of ASU for four years, whereas Shelton is in his first year as UA president, Calderon said.

“”I expect Shelton’s salary to increase if he continues to succeed in the long run,”” Calderon said.