Does Columbia University pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Columbia University employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 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 3.7 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 488 reviews)); "The people are great and it's a pleasure to work with students" ((in 320 reviews)); "Flexible hours and in an understanding environment while being able to develop real world skills." ((in 117 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work life balance" ((in 111 reviews)); "Great staff and a community that helps you grow" ((in 84 reviews))

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

"low pay compared to state schools that pay more to perform the same exact duties." ((in 298 reviews)); "low salary very far from my home not much increase yearly not much chances of growth departments are not well interconnected" ((in 278 reviews)); "extremely low on pay and poor management" ((in 113 reviews)); "Senior leadership can be difficult to deal with." ((in 41 reviews)); "If you get a bad manager, not much can be done." ((in 37 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

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Gender

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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

Jun 19, 2012

Huge bureaucracy, takes for ever to start getting paid

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Easy going atmosphere with nice people. You can take classes which is a HUGE perk

Cons

unproductive, disorganized, takes forever to get a pay check

4.0

Jun 18, 2012

Pretty chilled place to work at.

Textbook sales associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It's a very relaxed place to work. Management is very laid back about vacation days whenever you need it.

Cons

There are some slow moments during the year where there's minimal customers that come in the store so expect very small hours.

5.0

Jun 17, 2012

research assistant

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good place, good colleagues, good boss

Cons

No windows, no fresh air

Viewing 5251 - 5253 of 5,430 Reviews

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Jobs at Columbia University

Associate Athletics Director, Facilities Operations and Capital Planning

Variable Hours Officer, Group Fitness Instructor

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Huge bureaucracy, takes for ever to start getting paid

Pretty chilled place to work at.

research assistant

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