Are you concerned that Rhode Island had the two highest-compensated private-college leaders in the nation in 2017, the most recent year tracked by The Chronicle of Higher Education?

Retiring Bryant University President Ronald K. Machtley made more than $6.2 million in 2017. Former Johnson & Wales University Chancellor, CEO and President John J. Bowen, who retired in 2018, earned more than $5.3 million the same year.

Those were the top two compensation packages for private-college leaders in the nation that year, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, which has a database of more than 1,400 chief executives at more than 600 private colleges.

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Much of the earnings for Machtley and Bowen was tied to deferred compensation, an increasingly common tool used by schools to keep higher education leaders in place, according to The Chronicle.

But should such a small state have the top two highest-paid private-college leaders in the nation in a given year?

The schools stand by their decisions and the performance of Machtley, who will retire in May, and Bowen.

What do you think?