Payback
EarningsPlus
Economic score
Columbia University is a private national university located in New York, New York. Columbia is extremely selective in their admissions.
Return on educational investment at Columbia is in the top 5% of all ranked schools. The median student earns $89,871 10 years after enrolling, 4th in New York, and in the top 5% nationally. When adjusted for earning differences by major, Columbia bachelor students earn 28% more than the national average. Columbia is ranked 10th in New York.
Columbia University’s median net annual cost of $22,823 and average years to graduate of 4.2 are reported only at the school level. We assume these same costs and graduation time for all programs.
The top 6 programs at Columbia sorted by number of graduates - Computer Science, Economics, Poli Sci/Government, Research&Experimental Psych, History, English Language & Lit - are shown below. To see more programs, click on "see additional programs".
Annual net cost
$22,823
Average years to graduate
4.2
Operations Research.
Rank: #1
Economic score: 0.93
Applied Mathematics
Rank: #8
Economic score: 1.21
Neurobiology & Neurosciences
Rank: #1
Economic score: 1.45
Mechanical Engineering
Rank: #120
Economic score: 1.61
Sociology
Rank: #16
Economic score: 2.19
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Rank: #52
Economic score: 2.2
Biology
Rank: #73
Economic score: 3.32
Social Sciences, Other
Rank: #10
Economic score: 4.67
Visual and Performing Arts, Other
Rank: #6
Economic score: 16.5
Philosophy
Rank: #64
Economic score: 26.88
EarningPlus compares the three-year post graduate earnings to the median earnings of the same graduating class, with the same graduate degree. These 2 metrics, debt-to-earnings and EarningsPlus, are combined into an economic score. The lower the economic score the better.
The most popular 6 graduate programs at Columbia - Quantitative methods Mgmt., Statistics, Computer science, Computer Science, Social Work, Public Administration - are shown below. To see more programs, click on "see additional programs".
Civil Engineering
Rank: #50
Economic score: 0.48
Electrical Engineering
Rank: #34
Economic score: 0.49
Operations Research.
Rank: #2
Economic score: 0.5
Biomathematics, informatics, and Computational Biology
Rank: #2
Economic score: 0.5
Mechanical Engineering
Rank: #62
Economic score: 0.56
Registered Nursing
Rank: #330
Economic score: 0.64
Public Health
Rank: #96
Economic score: 0.83
Ecology & Evolution
Rank: #11
Economic score: 0.86
International Relations
Rank: #20
Economic score: 0.94
Journalism
Rank: #16
Economic score: 1.15
The average full-time graduate completes their degree in 4.2 years. 95% of all students graduate within 8 years including part-time students. The graduation rate at Columbia is 28% higher than the state average, and 27% above the average for all national universities in the country.
At Columbia, Pell Grant recipients represent 23% of the measured graduating class, 12% lower than the national average of 35%. The average Pell Grant recipient at Columbia graduates within 4.4 years.
Columbia is in the top 50% of schools for graduating Pell recipients.
We calculate this performance by adjusting the graduation rate of Pell students by their percentage of the student body. This adjustment is made to prevent schools with large numbers of Pell students from underperforming in comparison to schools with few Pell students but high graduation rates.
Columbia University’s economic mobility score of 22.18 is calculated by adjusting the 0.51 economic score of lower-income students by the 23% pell grant recipients within the student body. Columbia’s EMS of 22.18 ranks in the top 25% nationally.false
Economic Mobility
To calculate economic mobility of low-income (household earnings below $30,000) students, we adjust each institution’s economic score by their percentage of Pell Grant students. The logic of this Pell-adjusted calculation is derived from Third Way’s Economic Mobility Index (EMI).
Top 25%
The average Title IV recipient at Columbia University pays $22,823 a year, $54,780 less than the $77,603 advertised. See below the cost breakdown for students who receive Title IV grants, broken down by income level.
Average net price
The average net price shown by income level for all students that receive Title IV aid. Calculated by deducting the average grant and scholarship aid from tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Limited to first-time, full-time students. Public institution figures are calculated using in-state tuition figures.
Median net price $22,823
Much of the gap between net price and sticker price is filled by institutional and government grants. At Columbia, 53% of students receive some grants and scholarships, compared to the national average of 87% for all colleges and universities. The average amount of federal, state, and institutional grants that students receive is shown on the right.
This leaves a total of $22,823 on average to be covered by the student – be it through loans or out of pocket. In total, 7% of students take out loans, federal or private, at an average amount of $13,338. This is 47% less than the national average.
Federal grants
$5,511
Pell grants
$5,526
State grants
$4,760
Institutional grants
$53,589
Columbia University's extremely selective admissions are indicated by their 4% acceptance rate. In 2021, the school had 61,110 applicants, of which 2,524 were admitted and 1,641 enrolled. Columbia doesn't have a rolling admissions policy, which means applications are reviewed after a hard admissions deadline.
Full time
93%
83%
Female
45%
59%
First time
64%
59%
In-state
17%
68%
1st generation
25%
35%
White
33%
52%
Black
7%
14%
Hispanic
15%
15%
Asian
17%
5%
American Indian
N/A
1.6%
Pacific Islander
N/A
0.3%
Other
28%
12%