New York, New York, USA, 25 July 2007 -- /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) today approved a regular quarterly cash dividend on the corporation's common stock. The dividend of USD 0.205 is payable on 12 September 2007, to shareholders of record on 28 August 2007.

The McGraw-Hill Companies has paid a dividend each year since 1937 and is one of fewer than 30 companies in the S&P 500 that has increased its dividend annually for the last 34 years. The annualized rate of USD 0.82 per share, which includes a 12.9% increase approved by the board in January of 2007, represents an average compound annual dividend growth rate of 10.4% since 1974.

Since 1996, the corporation has returned USD 7.3 billion to shareholders through dividend payments and share repurchases, including more than USD 1.4 billion returned to shareholders year-to-date in 2007.

The McGraw-Hill Companies' dividend declaration follows the corporation's announcement on 24 July 2007, of diluted earnings per share of USD 0.79 for the second quarter of 2007, a 31.7% increase over the same period last year.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education, and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek, and J.D. Power and Associates. The corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were USD 6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.