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 488 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 131 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work life balance" ((in 122 reviews)); "The campus is beautiful and being in an academic environment in NYC is wonderful" ((in 83 reviews))

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

"The pay can be low and slow" ((in 306 reviews)); "Salaries in the teaching and research tracks are low compared to private industry; many positions depend on grant funding." ((in 280 reviews)); "extremely low on pay and poor management" ((in 113 reviews)); "Senior leadership can be difficult to deal with." ((in 38 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 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.

Columbia University reviews

4.0

65% would recommend to a friend

(5,424 total reviews)

Lee C. Bollinger

60% approve of CEO

50% 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 5,424 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

4.0

Oct 20, 2008

Columbia University - Great Benefits.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to work - benefits include the option to take free classes through the College of General Studies,tuition benefits for your family, great healthcare plan, access to libraries and other facilities, flexible scheduling and association with a prestigious university. The people you work with will generally be very smart and at the top of their field. Columbia is also located in New York City, which is a huge boon.

Cons

Pay at an academic institution is generally lower than what you would receive in the private sector.

5.0

Sep 30, 2008

Columbia is a great place to be a graduate student.

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There is a great collection of knowledge, and people are genuinely excited to share it with you.

Cons

People work a lot, and the cost of living in NYC is pretty rough, although graduate student housing helps a bit with that.

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.

Viewing 5413 - 5415 of 5,424 Reviews

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