SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                       ----------------------------------


                                    FORM 11-K


               (X) ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE
                 SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (FEE REQUIRED)

                    For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000

                                       or

               ( ) TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF
              THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (NO FEE REQUIRED)

               For the transition period from ___________________

                         Commission File Number: 1-11869


           FactSet Research Systems Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan
           -----------------------------------------------------------
                            (Full title of the plan)


                          FactSet Research Systems Inc.
                               One Greenwich Plaza
                          Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
                      -------------------------------------
                              (Address of the plan)



                          FactSet Research Systems Inc.
                   -------------------------------------------
          (Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan)

                               One Greenwich Plaza

                          Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
                          ----------------------------
                (Address of issuer's principal executive office)





FactSet Research Systems Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan


INDEX                                                                      Page
                                                                           ----

Report of Independent Accountants                                             3

Financial Statements:
---------------------

Statement of Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits
at August 31, 2000 and 1999                                                   4

Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits
for the Year Ended August 31, 2000                                            5

Notes to Financial Statements                                             6 - 8


Supplemental Schedule:
----------------------

Schedule of Assets Held for Investment Purposes
at August 31, 2000                                                            9

Signature                                                                    10


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Report of Independent Accountants



To the Participants and Administrator
of the FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan:


In our opinion, the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits
and the  related  statement  of  changes in net assets  available  for  benefits
present fairly, in all material respects,  the net assets available for benefits
of the FactSet Research Systems Inc.  Employee Stock Ownership Plan (the "Plan")
at August  31,  2000 and 1999,  and the  changes  in net  assets  available  for
benefits for the year ended  August 31,  2000,  in  conformity  with  accounting
principles  generally accepted in the United States of America.  These financial
statements are the responsibility of the Plan's  management;  our responsibility
is to express an opinion on these financial  statements based on our audits.  We
conducted our audits of these  statements in accordance with auditing  standards
generally  accepted in the United States of America,  which require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a
test basis,  evidence  supporting  the amounts and  disclosures in the financial
statements,  assessing the accounting  principles used and significant estimates
made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.


Our audits  were  conducted  for the  purpose of forming an opinion on the basic
financial statements taken as a whole. The supplemental  schedule of assets held
for investment  purposes is presented for the purpose of additional analysis and
is not a required part of the basic  financial  statements  but is  supplemental
information  required by the  Department  of Labor's Rules and  Regulations  for
Reporting and Disclosure  under the Employee  Retirement  Income Security Act of
1974. This supplemental schedule is the responsibility of the Plan's management.
The supplemental  schedule has been subjected to the auditing procedures applied
in the audits of the basic financial  statements and, in our opinion,  is fairly
stated in all material  respects in relation to the basic  financial  statements
taken as a whole.


PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Hartford, CT
February 27, 2001


                                       3





FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Statement of Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits
August 31, 2000 and 1999



                                                               
ASSETS:                                 At August 31,         2000          1999
                                                              ----          ----
Investment at fair value:
Common stock of FactSet Research Systems Inc.          $74,356,137   $56,863,460

Receivables from FactSet Research Systems Inc.:
Employer contributions                                   1,300,000     1,000,000
Dividends                                                   65,249        60,698
                                                        ----------    ----------
Total assets                                            75,721,386    57,924,158

LIABILITIES:                                                  -             -
                                                       -----------   -----------
Net assets available for plan benefits                 $75,721,386   $57,924,158
                                                       ===========   ===========


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements



                                       4





FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits
For the Year Ended August 31, 2000


ADDITIONS:

Contributions from FactSet Research Systems Inc.                     $ 1,300,000

Dividends on common stock                                                262,082

Appreciation in fair value of common stock                            27,626,129
                                                                      ----------
Total additions                                                       29,188,211

DEDUCTIONS:

Distributions to participants                                         11,390,983
                                                                      ----------
INCREASE IN NET ASSETS DURING THE PLAN YEAR                           17,797,228

Net assets available for plan benefits:

Beginning of the year                                                 57,924,158
                                                                      ----------
Ending of the year                                                   $75,721,386
                                                                     ===========

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements



                                       5




FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Notes to Financial Statements
August 31, 2000 and 1999

Note 1 - DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN

GENERAL

The FactSet Research  Systems Inc.  Employee Stock Ownership Plan (the "Plan" or
"ESOP")  was  established  effective  September  1, 1985 and is  subject  to the
provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"). The
Plan is intended to constitute a "qualified plan" within the meaning of Sections
401(a) and 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"),
and ERISA,  as amended,  and to qualify as an "employee  stock  ownership  plan"
under Section 4975(e)(7) of the Code.

The Plan is funded by optional annual  contributions by FactSet Research Systems
Inc.  ("FactSet" or the "Company") as designated by its Board of Directors.  The
funds held under the Plan are invested in the Common Stock of FactSet.  The Plan
owned 2,174,951 and 2,455,642 shares of the Company's common stock at August 31,
2000 and 1999, respectively.

Effective  August  31,  2000  and  1999,  the  Board  of  Directors   authorized
contributions  of $1,300,000 and  $1,000,000,  respectively,  to the Plan.  Such
amounts were used to purchase shares of the Company's  common stock on September
1, 2000 and 1999,  respectively,  and are reflected as a receivable from FactSet
on the Statement of Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits.

Employees  of the Company at fiscal year end (August 31) who have  performed  at
least  1,000  hours of service  during the plan year are  generally  eligible to
participate  in the Plan.  When  employee work records are not kept on an hourly
basis,  employees are credited with 190 hours of service for each month in which
one hour of service was performed.

Contributions  in the  form of the  Company's  common  stock  are  allocated  to
participant  accounts  in  the  proportion  that  each  eligible   participant's
compensation bears to the aggregate  compensation of all participants during the
plan year.  Eligible  compensation  for  participants  is capped at $160,000 and
$120,000  in 2000 and  1999,  respectively.  Contributions  begin  to vest  upon
completion of the employee's third year of service at a rate of 20% and continue
at that rate in each successive year of service. Forfeited, non-vested interests
in the Plan are  allocated  to the other  participants'  accounts  upon  meeting
certain  criteria  as defined in the Plan.  There were  14,648 and 2,424  shares
forfeited and reallocated (in the same manner as employer contributions) in 2000
and 1999, respectively.

The vested  interests of plan  participants  are  distributed in a lump sum upon
such participant reaching the age of 65. A participant who reaches the age of 65
but remains employed by the Company may elect to receive the distribution of his
or her vested interest as of the last day in any subsequent plan year,  provided
that in the case of a five percent  shareholder the distribution  shall begin no
later than April 1, following the calendar year in which the participant attains
the age of 70 1/2.  When  employment  is  terminated,  distributions  of  vested
interests  are made  according  to the  election  of the former  employee.  Such
distributions are generally payable in a lump sum and are initiated upon receipt
of written  notification  from the  former  employee.  The  vested  balance of a
participant's  account may be distributed  in the form of cash,  common stock of
the Company or a combination thereof.

The Plan may be terminated at any time by the Company.  The  adjudication of the
Company as a bankrupt entity,  an assignment for the benefit of the creditors of
the Company,  the  dissolution or  liquidation of the Company,  or the permanent
discontinuance  of  contributions by the Company shall effect the termination of
the Plan.



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ADMINISTRATION AND EXPENSES

The Plan is  administered  by the  ESOP  Plan  Committee,  which  has  appointed
officials  of FactSet to act as trustees and assist in  administering  the Plan.
The  assets  of the Plan  are  held in  custody  by The  Bank of New  York.  USI
Consulting Group has been retained to act as record keeper for the Plan.

All expenses of the Plan including administrative costs are paid by the Company.
Such costs include record keeping, participants reports,  communications,  audit
fees and transfer agent fees.

Note 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

BASIS OF ACCOUNTING

The  accompanying  financial  statements  have been  prepared  according  to the
accrual basis of accounting.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally  accepted in the United States of America requires  management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities
and changes therein,  and the disclosures of contingent  assets and liabilities.
Actual results could differ from these estimates.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND INCOME RECOGNITION

The Plan's only investment is the common stock of FactSet. It is carried at fair
value at August 31, 2000 and 1999 based on the closing market price of FactSet's
common stock on the New York Stock Exchange.

Dividend Income is accrued on the  ex-dividend  date. Upon receipt of dividends,
the Plan purchases  additional shares of FactSet common Stock and allocates such
shares to participants  accounts in the proportion of each participant's account
to the total.

Purchases and sales of securities are recorded on a trade-date  basis.  Realized
gains and losses from  security  transactions  are  reported on the average cost
method.

UNREALIZED APPRECIATION

Unrealized  appreciation  is the difference  between the fair value and original
cost basis of the Plan  investment in the  Company's  common stock at August 31,
2000 and 1999 based on a weighted average share basis.  Unrealized  appreciation
at August 31, 2000 and 1999 was $69,732,185 and $ 52,828,888 respectively.


Note 3 - INCOME TAXES

The  Internal  Revenue  Service has  determined  and  informed  the Company by a
determination  letter dated April 18, 1985,  that the Plan is qualified  and the
trust established under the Plan is tax-exempt, under the appropriate section of
the Code. The Plan has been amended since  receiving the  determination  letter.
However,  the Plan  Administrator  believes the Plan is  currently  designed and
being  operated in  compliance  with the  applicable  requirements  of the Code.
Therefore,  they believe that the Plan was  qualified  and the related trust was
tax-exempt as of the financial statement date.

Note 4 - STOCK SPLITS

On January 13, 2000,  the Company  declared a 2-for-1 stock split  effected as a
stock  dividend.  The  stock  split was  effected  as a stock  dividend  and was
distributed on February 4, 2000 to common  stockholders of record on January 21,
2000. Shares of common stock and related amounts (including dividends per share)
have been retroactively restated for all stock splits.


                                       7




Note 5 - DIVIDENDS

In accordance  with the Plan terms,  dividends  are used to purchase  additional
shares of FactSet  common  stock  based on the  closing  price of a share of the
Company's common stock on dividend payment dates. Regular quarterly dividends of
$ 0.025 per common share were paid in September  and December  1999 and $.03 per
common share in March and June 2000.

Note 6 - SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

On September 18, 2000, the Board of Directors authorized the increase of maximum
eligible  compensation for the plan years commencing  September 1, 2000 and 1999
to $170,000 and $160,000, respectively.

On  December  21,  2000,  the Company  paid a cash  dividend of $0.03 per common
share. 0n February 15, 2001, the Board of Directors  declared a cash dividend of
$0.03 per common share payable on March 21, 2001 to all common  stockholders  of
record at the close of business on February 28, 2001.



                                       8




Supplemental Schedule
                                                                      Schedule I
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Schedule of Assets Held for Investment Purposes at End of Year
At August 31, 2000





                                                                                                         
(a)                 (b)                                     (c)                              (d)                      (e)
                                             Description of investment including
           Identity of Issue, borrower,      maturity date, rate of interest,                                        Current
           lessor, or similar party          collateral, par or maturity value               Cost                     value
---        ----------------------------      -----------------------------------             ----                    -------

**         FactSet Research Systems Inc.     Common Stock 2,174,951* shares                  $4,623,952              $74,356,137
                                             $34.1875/Share


*Shares of common  stock and  related  amounts  give  retroactive  effect to the
2-for-1 stock split that occurred on February 4, 2000.

**Indicates an identified person known to be a party-in-interest to the Plan.




                                       9





SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the Plan
Committee  and the Trustee  have duly caused this annual  report to be signed by
the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


FactSet Research Systems Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan


By: /s/ Ernest S. Wong                                   Date: February 28, 2001

Senior Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer and Secretary



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