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?

64% 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 (329) , Teaching Assistant (162) , Graduate Research Assistant (161) , Graduate Student (150) , PhD Student (143) , Postdoctoral Research Scientist (94) , Administrative Assistant (78) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (78) , Postdoctoral Fellow (73) , Associate Research Scientist (70) , Assistant Director (66) , Director (55) , Postdoctoral Researcher (51) , 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 492 reviews)); "The people are great and it's a pleasure to work with students" ((in 324 reviews)); "Great colleagues and talent employed" ((in 163 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work life balance" ((in 116 reviews)); "Flexible hours and in an understanding environment while being able to develop real world skills." ((in 114 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 297 reviews)); "low salary very far from my home not much increase yearly not much chances of growth departments are not well interconnected" ((in 266 reviews)); "extremely low on pay and poor management" ((in 109 reviews)); "Senior leadership can be difficult to deal with." ((in 40 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

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4.0

64% would recommend to a friend

(5,404 total reviews)

Lee C. Bollinger

60% approve of CEO

53% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

3.8

Work/Life balance

3.7

Career opportunities

3.6

Culture & values

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Senior management

Columbia University has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 5,404 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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

5K reviews

4.0

Sep 16, 2008

A very good place to teach and learn.

adjunct assistant professor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The openness, resource and knowledge in such a research and higher-ed institution. All that smart people -- professors and students. Being part of the knowledge-quest keeps you on the edge, and gives you continuous exposure to new developments, young fearless minds. Horns my teaching and performing skills of course. A nice change to a regular full-time R&D job.

Cons

Hardly any career-advancement , since this is a part-time teaching job. Heavy workload considering it's merely an addition to another full-time job. Rather complicated logistics and bureaucracy in the supporting functions.

3.0

Sep 10, 2008

Not the best place to grow for Technology Professional but does offer you great environment for creativity.

Technical project manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great environment and promote creativity. tuition waiver.

Cons

Not a great place for professional growth unless you are a PhD and on research track

3.0

Sep 8, 2008

Great place to work---for faculty or medical professionals

It manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefit-free tuition at Columbia that is if you can get accepted for part time degree programs otherwise you can take free individual classes in any discipline). Flex time can be worked at some departments. CU has a relaxed atmosphere for the most part, good work-life balance, autonomy and lots of room for creativity in your position. It offers an unparalleled, beautiful campus with lots of historical buildings and architecture. The libraries are an amazing place to study, read, etc. You also learn alot from exceptional, highly educated individuals. Most would be categorized as great researchers, academics, medical practitioners but not good managers or senior managers.

Cons

There is not much advancement for non faculty or medical staff positions. The pay rate is generally 20-30K below market.

Viewing 5395 - 5397 of 5,404 Reviews

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A very good place to teach and learn.

Not the best place to grow for Technology Professional but does offer you great environment for creativity.

Great place to work---for faculty or medical professionals

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