Does Columbia University pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Columbia University employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Columbia University. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Columbia University?

65% of Columbia University employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Columbia University 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.6 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Columbia University?

Research Assistant (330) , Graduate Research Assistant (162) , Teaching Assistant (162) , Graduate Student (150) , PhD Student (145) , Postdoctoral Research Scientist (95) , Administrative Assistant (79) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (78) , Postdoctoral Fellow (74) , Associate Research Scientist (72) , Assistant Director (66) , Director (56) , Postdoctoral Researcher (55) , Associate Director (45) , Researcher (45)

What are the pros of working at Columbia University according to real employee reviews?

"Columbia and the Business School are great to work for because of the benefits and the people." ((in 482 reviews)); "The people are great and it's a pleasure to work with students" ((in 325 reviews)); "Flexible hours and in an understanding environment while being able to develop real world skills." ((in 125 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work life balance" ((in 116 reviews)); "The campus is beautiful and being in an academic environment in NYC is wonderful" ((in 81 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Columbia University according to real employee reviews?

"The pay can be low and slow" ((in 301 reviews)); "Salaries in the teaching and research tracks are low compared to private industry; many positions depend on grant funding." ((in 268 reviews)); "extremely low on pay and poor management" ((in 106 reviews)); "Senior leadership can be difficult to deal with." ((in 40 reviews)); "If you get a bad manager, not much can be done." ((in 38 reviews))

What are employees saying about Columbia University layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Columbia University layoffs and their outlook for job security at Columbia University in 2026.

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Columbia University

Columbia University reviews

4.0

65% would recommend to a friend

(5,430 total reviews)

Lee C. Bollinger

60% approve of CEO

51% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

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Columbia University has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 5,430 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Columbia University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Educación industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

5K reviews

3.0

Oct 19, 2012

well known

Postdoctoral research scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexibility in working schedule, benefits.

Cons

Financial insecurity (admin did some mistakes), expensive housing, not very collaborative spirit at work.

5.0

Oct 16, 2012

Great University Great Ivy League

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Professors are great and so are classmates

Cons

The locate is not so good in Manhattan

4.0

Oct 12, 2012

A great place to live and work

Postdoctoral research scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

1. The New York city is a good option for life. Many foods / museum / entertainment 2. Columbia Univ. has good reputation 3. Pay is good

Cons

1. House rental is very expensive 2. Many crimes

Viewing 5230 - 5232 of 5,430 Reviews

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Jobs at Columbia University

Adjunct Lecturer, Solving Real World Problems with Analytics (ONLINE - Summer/Fall '26)

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well known

Great University Great Ivy League

A great place to live and work

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