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 (54) , Associate Director (45) , Program Coordinator (44)

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 495 reviews)); "The people are great and it's a pleasure to work with students" ((in 321 reviews)); "Flexible hours and in an understanding environment while being able to develop real world skills." ((in 120 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work life balance" ((in 113 reviews)); "Good work environment at Columbia University" ((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 293 reviews)); "low salary very far from my home not much increase yearly not much chances of growth departments are not well interconnected" ((in 273 reviews)); "extremely low on pay and poor management" ((in 112 reviews)); "Senior leadership can be difficult to deal with." ((in 36 reviews)); "I have seen on more than one occasion, staff members completely stop doing their jobs with no serious repercussions (b/c the managers don't want to deal with the strenuous process of terminating someone)." ((in 34 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.

Columbia University reviews

4.0

65% would recommend to a friend

(5,425 total reviews)

Lee C. Bollinger

60% approve of CEO

51% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Columbia University has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 5,425 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 26, 2011

Good place to start an academic career.

Postdoctoral research scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It's academia, so lots of freedom. My boss was a good guy, but some others are not. Being a postdoc is about finding your own research and getting your own funding. Not at the same level as a prof, but more than a grad student. Realize this and don't be a pu**sy, find your own research and funding!

Cons

You make less than the garbage man, and your student loans are probably astronomical by the time you get here. Make sure you plan an exit strategy since, reasonably speaking, you won't become a prof at Columbia or NYU when you're done.

1.0

Jun 15, 2011

As an Ivy league school, I'm really disappointed on how they treat their staff.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Free classes and degree if accepted into a specific program. Columbia gives you a lot of vacation time as an employee.

Cons

No promotions/bonues internally. Poor leadership skills. Management doesn't obey the same rules that apply to their staff. No advancement opportunities available.

4.0

Jun 7, 2011

Very supportive supervisors

Project coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

My office was very laid-back. Very little micro-management, you were given assignments as a long as they were completed everything was fine. Very understanding of supporting the work/life balance. The sick leave and vacation was extremely generous when compared to other workplaces.

Cons

Because I worked in a very small department there was limited opportunities for growth. So you would either have to remain pigeon-holed in that position or wait for someone to move on in order to advance. This was a great position for starting a career but not a good one for the long-term

Viewing 5314 - 5316 of 5,425 Reviews

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