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 326 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work life balance" ((in 120 reviews)); "Flexible hours and in an understanding environment while being able to develop real world skills." ((in 118 reviews)); "Great staff and a community that helps you grow" ((in 79 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 306 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 113 reviews)); "Senior leadership can be difficult to deal with." ((in 39 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.

Columbia University reviews

4.0

65% would recommend to a friend

(5,425 total reviews)

Lee C. Bollinger

60% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (5,425 reviews)

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

Mar 7, 2009

Working in Labs at Columbia

Senior research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Columbia is a great place to be from. Students need to be proactive about finding professors willing to bring them on as research assistants, but after that there are usually good opportunities to do interesting work and to co-author papers. Most professors are willing to pay, which is great for undergraduates who are usually expected to work for free.

Cons

The pay isn't great compared to other work-study jobs - I started at $8/hr and ended at $10, while people can make $12 for sitting and swiping cards. Columbia infrastructure is notoriously bad, and my paycheck has been sent to the wrong place for literally two years. Be prepared for red tape.

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 5419 - 5421 of 5,425 Reviews

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